Wavering  Arc
Yuyao Lin
How to design with a cockroach?
09/2024



How can design mediate emotional and spatial boundaries with the abject Other?


Through subtle kinetic movements, the object materializes moments of tension and adaptation that arise in human–abject interactions. A suspended disc oscillates in response to both human physiological signals (such as heart rate) and the real-time movements of cockroaches nearby. When human emotional arousal increases—triggered by the perceived presence or movement of cockroaches—the oscillation becomes more erratic, visually amplifying the emotional boundary. Conversely, as the human and the cockroach settle into co-presence, the oscillation calms, signaling a temporary easing of tension.

Rather than concealing or sanitizing the presence of the abject, the Wavering Arc renders the dynamics of disgust, fear, adaptation, and co-existence visible and tangible. It invites reflection on how human emotional states and spatial behaviors shape, and are shaped by, encounters with the abject Other.



















demo on the way....








Abjection is a powerful affective force that shapes exclusionary spatial practices. Design can surface these forces rather than concealing them—creating spaces where emotional responses can be negotiated rather than acted out through erasure. The key is not to eliminate disgust, but to open up a relational space in which discomfort and coexistence can be held together.