Yael Braha

Eamonn Burke

This is Yael Braha’s “Tree of Changes”, an interactive sculpture which utilizes metalwork, voice recognition and algorithms, LED lights, and a custom Max/MSP software. It allows a user to speak a “wish” into a microphone, watch it travel up the tree, and become a glowing leaf on the branches.

What I really admire about this project is interactivity, and especially how intimate that interactivity is. It shows the power of computational design as a way to connect to people and make them feel special. Not only is a user able to alter the sculpture, but they are able to do it in a way that feels personal to them, which is the epitome of user experience design. In addition to this, the tree itself looks very elegant despite being made from metal, which is quite a feat.

Yael Braha studied Graphic Design at the European Institute of Design in Rome. She then immigrated to the US to study film at San Francisco State University. She now works in Canada, and works mainly with large computational and architectural installations, but also creates fine hand art such as jewelry and ceramics.