Follow the Signs

Follow the Signs is an interactive installation that invites viewers to go inward, get to know each other at a deeper level, and contemplate the ways in which we choose to experience our lives. The work deals with themes of war, political tensions, security and insecurity within and outside of ourselves, and is heavily based on my personal experience living between Lithuania and Los Angeles in recent years, being so close yet so safely far from the wars and political tensions.

The project started as a means to escape the reality of the world we live in, a tool for viewers to detach and redirect their attention towards finding peace within themselves and connecting with one another. That intention was slowly changed by feelings ranging from guilt to anger, and it became a recording of experiences within and outside of myself. The installation provides a time and space to support and be open to understanding each other's perspectives so that we could make a change collectively.

The game is open ended, inviting players' interpretations of visuals, words, and combinations of the two into events. With the gameboard, the intention was to create and fascinate a play session at a mental playground, opening players up to themselves and their companions as they discuss and relate to the events of the game, the cards, and each other.

Cards were hand-painted and then stylized digitally in Photoshop and Illustrator. Ceramic game pieces represent the locations within the game world.

Exhibition materials and the rulebook were illustrated using watercolor paints, keeping the handmade quality consistent across all printed components. The rulebook guides players through the mechanics of reading signs, making choices, and navigating the branching narrative structure of the game.

Shown at the UCLA Sculpture Gallery as part of the Undergraduate Scholars Research Program Student Showcase.