Fenestra

Fenestra is a domestic technology embodied in the form of a wirelessly connected round mirror, photo frame, and candle that displays photos of departed loved ones. Fenestra’s interaction design, form, and materials are inspired by Japanese domestic practices of memorializing departed loved ones with a home altar called butsudan. Lighting a candle in the candleholder activates the main interactive feature of Fenestra; indeterminate changes in the brightness and movement of its flame control how photos of the departed are surfaced, cycled through, and remain present on the photo frame and mirror displays. A secondary feature is triggered when the user gazes directly at the round mirror, which causes cropped digital portraits of the deceased to be displayed.