The perception of time has shifted for many people due to COVID-19 pandemic. The concept seems paradoxical where time eludes or stagnates even though it is not a material object that we can physically grasp, and yet, we commonly say Finding Rhythm Amidst Disruption: that ‘time is slipping past our fingers.’ Additionally, this pandemic has brought challenges with an unexpected translation of time: how soon or late our town Reconnecting through Cultural is infected, how many days we haven’t seen a friend, or how many minutes we have “zoom”ed throughout the day. While the context and consequences are Translations of Time and Motion radically different, we refer to this analogy to discuss the diverse translations and cultural shifts of time.
Living in the United States as bicultural individuals —Indian, Iranian, Thai— Ladan Bahmani we perceive time in conjunction with an additional calendrical system and time Illinois State University, United States difference. Archana Shekara is a first-generation Indian American who has been in the United States for three decades and considers it her second home. Archana Shekara Ladan Bahmani is a first-generation Iranian American. She immigrated to Illinois State University, United States United States from Iran and has lived in the country for over a decade. Annie Sungkajun is a second-generation American, whose parents immigrated to the Annie Sungkajun United States from Thailand. When she began her college education, her family Illinois State University, United States moved back to Thailand. We have become conscious of time and its shift as we constantly compare and move between different calendrical systems. This has allowed us to live in a parallel world, adding new meanings to time that is ABSTRACT In this short paper, we present a design experience that otherwise passed in an ordinary way. explores translations of time to facilitate connecting or reconnecting individuals with other cultures and regions. We introduce four calendrical In this research, we explore intersubjectivity via a design experience by intro- systems, Gregorian (2021 AD), Indian (1943 SE), Iranian (1400 SH), and ducing four calendrical systems: Gregorian (2021 AD), Indian (1943 SE), Iranian Thai (2564 BE). This project can be experienced in two different forms: (1400 SH), and Thai (2564 BE). We strive to present accessible and equitable an interactive website and a printable poster that can also be viewed with pieces while aligning them with alternative ways of viewing the world. augmented reality to reveal unique videos. Calendrical Systems Keywords: time, connect and reconnect, calendrical systems, interactive, Gregorian Calendar motion design, augmented reality, cross-cultural awareness, cultural In 1582, the Gregorian calendar was established by Pope Gregory XIII as a identity, pandemic reform to the Julian calendar system (“Gregorian Calendar”, 1998). Julius Caesar’s calendar consisted of eleven months of 30 or 31 days and a 28-day Introduction February (extended to 29 days every fourth year), was quite accurate: but it As stated by Aristotle, time is the “number of movements in respect of the miscalculated from the solar calendar by only 11 minutes a year. By the sixteenth before and after.” It is often represented and measured through a change of century, this inaccuracy resulted in 10 days (about 1 and a half weeks) lag from events, much like the circular motion of the moon revolving around the Earth the actual solar calendar. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered the advancement of or sequence of the seasons. With the lapse of time, there is transformation the calendar by 10 days and introduced a new corrected system to address the and adaptation which helps to anchor and ground ourselves. We are made error. This system was then named the Gregorian calendar, which is now widely conscious of time through our calendars and clocks—we understand how much used by most of the world. This calendar is officially used in the United States, is left within the day or a week and invoke deadlines, needs, and wants. The way marking the current year as 2021. time is measured and viewed may align or vary in different cultures depending on geographical locations, religions, traditions, and other factors.
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Figures 1–3: 1. Referenced concentric circular forms—Creation of Genesis from the late fifteenth century Nuremburg Chronicle (left), 2. Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England (middle), 3. Referenced concentric circular forms—Roman sundials from the ruins of Pompeii (right). Source: Aveni; 1989.
Indian Calendar Iranian Calendar The Indian National Calendar was reformed in 1957. Prior to the reform, The Iranian calendar has changed several times from being lunar to solar people followed various calendrical systems based on regional astronomical according to different natural and astronomical events. In addition, its origin practices and customs. The national calendar follows the Hindu Shalivahana has been adjusted several times due to political or scientific reasons. The Saka, a lunisolar calendrical system and the Gregorian calendar is used for current Iranian calendar, Hijri Shamsi (migration solar) is a solar calendar. administrative purposes (“Calendars Exhibit”, 2008). King Shalivahana from the In addition, a lunar calendar, Hijri Ghamari (migration lunar) is followed to Satavahana dynasty initiated the Saka calendar to mark his victory against King recognize the Islamic observances. The Hijri Shamsi calendar is used for Vikramaditya of Ujjayini. The epoch of Shalivahana Saka corresponds to 78 administrative purposes. The calendar’s origin of time goes back to an import- in the Julian Calendar, and this marks the current year as 1943. Holidays are ant Islamic event (Prophet Mohammad’s migration to Medina) and currently determined in accordance with Hindu, Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Jain and marks the year 1400. The Iranian calendar starts on the March equinox and it Buddhist religious traditions. In the lunisolar calendar, months (masas) are is called Nowruz (New Day). The year is divided into twelve months with the determined by the phases of the moon. There are six seasons (ritus) and each first six months being 31 days, 5 months being 30 days, and one final month season consists of two months. The number of days in a month varies between being 29 days (except on leap years.) 29 and 32 days. The first month is Chaitra, with 30 days in a normal year and 31 in a leap year. Ugadhi (first day of the year) occurs in Chaitra masa, the first day of the bright half of the moon. The New Year generally is in March coinciding with the Spring equinox or occasionally in April.
Finding Rhythm Amidst Disruption 87 Thai Calendar Website Thailand follows a lunisolar Buddhist calendar, meaning it is both a lunar The website contains information about the project and the designers, a link to calendar as well as a solar one that was adopted in the late 1880s, in order to download the calendar poster, and the interactive calendar of the year 2022. synchronize with the Western Gregorian calendar. The Buddhist calendar uses In the interactive calendar, the calendrical systems are presented in a grid struc- the date of when Gautama Buddha passed into Nirvana as it’s starting point, ture following the Gregorian calendar. The overall design is ambiguous allowing which predates the Christian Era by 543 years (Bikos). This marks the current users to explore additional information as they navigate through the site. Users Thai year as 2564. In a typical calendar, there are events found in the lunar are intentionally challenged to scroll horizontally throughout the site. As stated calendar to track many Buddhist holidays that is celebrated in Thailand. There by Damian Rees, “introducing a horizontal scroll could break a fairly rigid are also Gregorian events, such as New Year’s Day (Jan. 1), which are used for western convention.” (Rees, 2015) By breaking this western convention, users administrative purposes. The country celebrates its Thai New Year, Songkran, can become aware of the continued dichotomy that bicultural individuals typically in April. The year, months and days are divided similarly to the experience as they shift between two calendrical systems. Gregorian calendar. The website (Figures 4–9) presents holidays that are observed in each calendri- Division of Calendrical Year Based on Geographical Location cal system, along with a description of the holiday and how it is celebrated by The geographical location of each country dictates the way a year is divided. the general populace and the designers themselves. By clicking on a designated For example, in a Gregorian calendar used in the United States, there is Spring, color list on the left of the site, which is inspired from their homeland’s flag, each Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Similarly, the Iranian calendar also consists of designer’s cultural calendar dates are revealed by its colored ring. As a user four seasons: Spring (Bahar), Summer (Tabestan), Autumn (Paeez), and Winter clicks on a colored concentric circle, it reveals to them the name of the holiday, (Zemestan). However, the Thai calendar has only three seasons: Hot (Raawn), then an icon that symbolizes it, a description, and finally how it is celebrated by Cool (Naow), Wet/Monsoon (Fon Tok), while the Indian calendar has six the designers. seasons: Spring (Vasant), Summer (Grishma), Monsoon (Varsha), Autumn (Sharad), Pre-winter (Hemant), Winter (Shishir). On the website, several similarities between each of our calendars are present- ed. For example, Islamic and Buddhist holidays are marked on the Indian The Form calendar. A few festivals between Indian and Thai overlap, showcasing cultur- In the midst of a pandemic, where time is experienced as more or less long al exchange between the two countries. In addition, the Islamic holidays of (Grondin), we hoped to regain our sense of time by returning to our roots. The Ramzan and Eid are major celebrations in India and Iran. Islam is the second project began as simple observations between our cultures to learn how time largest religion in India and 14% of the Indian population are Muslims (“Muslim is measured differently between them. Through these explorations, we found Population by Country 2021”). These similarities are displayed in the rings and similarities within traditions, language, and experiences that helped to ground in our individual descriptions. us amidst these times of disruption. We share these findings as an interactive website and as a letter-sized poster printable at home, which can also be viewed Poster through an augmented reality application. The two forms are designed to allow The poster (Figure 10) consists of twelve sections which include the months viewers to compare the four calendrical systems – Gregorian, Indian, Iranian, in the Gregorian calendar. In addition, each area contains one of the numerals and Thai—for the year 2022, revealing changes in time through motion and from the three languages: Kannada (India), Persian (Iran), and Thai (Thailand). interactivity. The concentric circles which represent each day on the website are used again in the poster; each filled ring indicates which language the numeral characters In our research, we came across various forms and devices designed to track or belong to (Figure 11). The concentric circles also aim to prompt an interaction: visualize time (Figures 1–2, 3). In many cases, such as the Creation of Genesis the viewer can scan each area through an augmented reality application. The from the late fifteenth century Nuremberg Chronicle, Stonehenge in Wiltshire, application processes the scanned area and unveils a motion video. Each short England, the Roman Sundials from the ruins of Pompeii (Aveni, 1989), or video includes related information about the most prominent memories we an ordinary analog clock, circular and, at times, concentric forms were utilized. have of the months in our cultures. nspired by the qualities of a circular form and its historical references, we adopted the concentric circles and applied it in our design.
88 MODE 2021 Edited Conference Proceedings Figures 4–9: Sequence of how information is being revealed by clicking on certain circles. Source: Bahmani, Shekara, Sungkajun; 2021.
Each of the twelve sections in the poster become possible doors through Linear and non-linear narratives which one can enter and have a glance at selected experiences of a bicultural The two forms of the project intend to offer various ways of viewing time and individual (Figures 12–15). The transition from static to motion and the subtle narratives. When speaking of narratives, there are two types—linear and non- environmental sounds intend to instantly transport an individual to a different linear. Both correspond to time of events, in which linear narratives are often month in one of the cultures. The combination of using camera and viewing an chronological, whereas nonlinear narratives can occur out of place. The website otherwise ordinary calendar strives to trigger a sense of curiosity and surprise gives an opportunity for a user to interact with the calendar. They can click on for the viewer and a potential shift in perspective. Cameras used to capture days and learn more about specific holidays or observances in three other parts our memories are used once again, this time by the user to reveal the same of the world. This interaction of navigating through the days and months in a memories. linear fashion is similar to following a timeline.
Similar to Google’s Translate Images feature, which assists an individual to have The poster is an expressive piece that reveals personal stories of the designers an instant access to another language, the use of camera and viewing the poster and their culture. Participants can use augmented reality and navigate around in motion facilitates the act of comparing various systems. the poster non-linearly. They are not limited to starting at any section and can freely explore the secondary layer of the poster, discovering different content. The size of this poster is 8.5" x 11" and the poster is shared both as JPG and a This content does not hold any particularly linear narrative, but potential downloadable PDF on the website. The size and the black and white mode were moments in our lives or essences of holidays. strategically chosen to make printing the piece an accessible process. Printing the poster gives the viewer the opportunity to physically interact with the poster, while scanning the areas in the poster allows the viewer to combine this physical interaction with a digital one.
Finding Rhythm Amidst Disruption 89 Figure 10 (left): Full poster. Source: Bahmani, Shekara, Sungkajun; 2021.
Figures 12–15: Sections of poster design—April (top left), August (top right), November (bottom left), September (bottom right). Source: Bahmani, Shekara, Sungkajun; 2021.
90 MODE 2021 Edited Conference Proceedings generation’s experience to reconnect with their culture. It was fascinating to learn the similarities of the Thai and Indian calendrical systems, due to their cultural exchange and roots in Sanskrit language. With the Indian and Iranian calendrical systems, we connected through by the shared history of dishes that has enriched our cultures through cuisine.
As each of us look back to our calendars, we are reconnected to our heritage, discovering hidden meanings, and reorienting ourselves in order to regain our rhythm which was disrupted by the pandemic. This uncertainty has brought Figure 11: Concentric circles guide. Source: Bahmani, Shekara, Sungkajun; 2021. new ways to adjust the celebration of our cultural holidays—binding our past experiences with the present and anticipating for a future that is unknown. As we examine similarities and differences among the four calendrical systems, we hope to share our cross-cultural discoveries with audiences to reunite in a time of enforced distance. While the website offers a more linear way of navigating a cultural story, the poster gives the viewer liberty for these experiences to be navigated in a non-linear fashion. On the website, the user starts from January to December WORKS CITED while on the poster, the user may start viewing one month and move through “#BringArtToLife.” Artivive, 24 Nov. 2020, artivive.com/. the design arbitrarily. Aveni, Anthony F. Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks and Cultures. University Connect and Re-Connect Press of Colorado, 1989. Time correlates with motion. Throughout history, humans have invented tools Bikos, Konstantin. “The Buddhist Calendar.” Timeanddate.com, www.timeand- that replicate “endless, repetitive, and oscillatory motion” (Aveni, 1989). This date.com/calendar/buddhist-calendar.html. lapse of time is viewed as linear or cyclical depending on cultural norms. In some calendar.ut.ac.ir/Fa/CalHistory/CalHistory4-1-1.asp. Calendar Center, University cultures, time is perceived as past, present, and future, while in other cultures of Tehran. https://calendar.ut.ac.ir/Fa/CalHistory/CalHistory4-1-1.asp it is an infinite cycle (Mishra, 2021). “Calendars Exhibit.” Indian Calendar | Calendars, 2008, www.webexhibits.org/
calendars/calendar-indian.html. Time is at the core of most objects, like a heartbeat that grounds us to the present. The global pandemic has forced us to become more sensitive to the “Gregorian Calendar.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., passing of time. Loss of lives, survivor stories, and the anticipation to get 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/topic/Gregorian-calendar. vaccinated has given various values of our remaining time. Although video- Grondin, Simon et al. “Pandemic, Quarantine, and Psychological Time.” calling with time differences was part of some people’s lives pre-pandemic, Frontiers in psychology vol. 11 581036. 20 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3389/ it has become our only means to interact and reconnect with colleagues and fpsyg.2020.581036 family to be a part of their lives. The rise in positive cases and the second Mishra, Vinod K. The Calendars of India. Motilal Banarsidass, 2021. and third wave adds to the halted cultural celebrations in the United States and our home countries. Muslim Population by Country 2021, worldpopulationreview.com/country-rank- ings/muslim-population-by-country. Through accessible interactive and motion design pieces, we present our Rees, Damian. “A UX Perspective on Horizontal Scrolling.” Experience UX, 9 investigations about various translations of time to facilitate methods to con- July 2015, www.experienceux.co.uk/ux-blog/a-ux-perspective-on-horizontal- nect or reconnect individuals with other cultures and regions. Being bicultural scrolling/. and using an additional calendar grounds us while living in a seemingly endless time. As ethnographic researchers we discovered the differences between an immigrant’s experience of preserving cultural heritage versus a second-
Finding Rhythm Amidst Disruption 91 AUTHOR(S) BIOGRAPHY
Ladan Bahmani is a designer, researcher, and educator. She started teaching Archana Shekara is a designer, researcher, creative director, and educator. at Illinois State University in 2017 after earning her MFA in Graphic Design from She is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design, Co-Director of Ethnic Studies Michigan State University. Bahmani’s research is on the concept of translation Program, and Creative Director of Design Streak Studio, a research based and language in the context of visual communication. She explores translation social innovation lab focusing on human centered service design at Illinois State as a process that enables new modes of production and critique in both physical University. She serves as the Coordinator of the Graphic Design 2+1 program and digital spaces and within the practice and theory of graphic design. Her work partnership with Wonsook Kim School of Art at Illinois State University and involves topics such as hybridity of visual or textual languages, diversity, and Tianhua School of Art + Design at Shanghai Normal University. Shekara has the fluidity of language borders. Bahmani has disseminated her work in the twenty-five years of professional experience designing for diverse industry form of conference presentations, research papers, and exhibitions. She pre- clients. She uses design as a tool to build cross-cultural understanding, sented her research nationally and internationally: 2019 Typecon conference in humility, acceptance, and respect. As a cultural researcher, she has been Minneapolis, 2019 MODE Design Education Summit conference in Wellington, investigating transnational identity by understanding racism through a brown New Zealand, and 2017 World Design Summit in Montreal, Canada. In addition, lens and sharing awareness through ethnographic narratives. Her research she has collaborated with colleagues in several projects and participated in interests include design pedagogy related to cultural identity and awareness, DesignInquiry residency in 2018 and 2019, Maine, and DCR Guest Studios multiculturalism, racial equity, community engagement and social justice. residency in 2016, in The Hague, Netherlands. Shekara’s innovative teaching methodologies have been featured in peer reviewed national and international academic and professional publications, and conferences including Association Typographique Internationale (AtypI), Typography Day, Digitally Engaged Learning (DEL), College Art Association (CAA), AIGA Design Educators Conference, The Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) and UCDA Design Educators Summit. She has reviewed several graphic design tenure and promotion dossiers from various universities, and conducts community building workshops based on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has served as a graduate thesis advisor for Heron School of Art and Design at Indianapolis. Shekara received an MFA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BFA in Painting from the State University of New York in New Paltz. Website: theHERproject.art
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Annie Sungkajun is an artist, designer, and educator who works in interactive installation. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Creative Technologies and Graphic Design at Illinois State University. She received her MFA in Visualization, from Texas A&M University. Her work aims to evoke a sense of nostalgia in her viewers, as it does for herself. She explores concepts of home, memory and displacement, through interactive installations facilitating projection mapping, tangible interaction, and 3D fabrication. She focuses on relational aesthetics and user-centric design that allow for the viewer to explore a place and time familiar to them. She has exhibited work in Braga, Portugal for ARTECH 2019, Manizales, Colombia for the International Symposium on Electronic Art 2017 and in London, England for the Electronic Visualization and the Arts 2017 conference.
Teenage Engineering’s OP-Z and its Topology of Sound and Visuals 93