when is now?

What is time to a mind that forgets?

Where

stanford d.school

What

multimedia installation

Duration

5 weeks

Skills

interaction design
fabrication
physical computing

Overview

When Is Now? is a suspended multimedia kaleidoscope built around my grandfather's experience with Alzheimer's. A hanging dodecahedron holds fragments of him, and as a viewer approaches, their presence surfaces footage of my grandfather from within the form, so that memory appears and slips in response to your nearness.

It turns the disorientation of a disappearing mind into something you move through rather than watch.

Context

One of my first projects at the Stanford d.school was to investigate an element of time and how we might measure it. When we were given this assignment, I was immediately transported back to the nursing home where my grandfather was battling severe Alzheimer’s. Over the past two years, visiting him has been one of the most difficult and deeply impactful experiences of my life. It was a journey through time marked by loss, confusion, and fragmentation.

Exploration

To the outside world, individuals affected by Alzheimer’s may appear fragmented or disjointed in their thoughts and memories. However, within their experience, there is no clear past or future. They live moment to moment, in a present that often feels intangible and elusive. My piece seeks to capture this perspective of time as experienced by my grandfather.

The Time.Piece

My piece takes the form of an infinity mirror kaleidoscope, a suspended, fragile object meant to evoke caution and curiosity in its audience. The intent was to have people approach it carefully, compelling them to figure out what they were seeing and how to peer into a disoriented mind – a reflection of the fragile reality Alzheimer’s creates.

Reflection

Translating something this personal into a physical piece was difficult. I kept questioning whether making a representation of my grandfather's mind was invasive, and whether I could honor the beauty of who he was while facing the realities of his condition. Alzheimer's is tender ground, and I wasn't always sure I should pursue it at all.

However, the responses during our showcase moved me deeply. People opened up about their own loved ones with Alzheimer's, and I found myself surrounded by connection and shared understanding. It was a humbling experience.

Exhibition

When Is Now? was selected for time.place, a group exhibition on time as material at tiat gallery in San Francisco, California (March 20 to April 5, 2026).

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