Yucen Yao
School of Art – MFA1 – Graphic Design
As a sophomore in college, I was almost subjected to the trauma of sexual assault by a professor whom I had previously held in high esteem. Since then, I have found myself feeling physically uncomfortable in the presence of friendly middle-aged men, which has occurred multiple times. I have been contemplating whether it is possible for me to detach this feeling from my experiences, as I do not wish to offend well-intentioned individuals. After conducting a survey among my close friends, I discovered that everyone harbors traumatic experiences that they would like to forget to make their lives more manageable, while still cherishing their memories. This led me to conceptualize the “Emotional Bank,” a platform for individuals to exchange their emotions. In my research, I found that society already has emotional services such as virtual companionship and the Japanese public relations industry. I began to speculate whether currency could be bought and sold for emotions in the not-too-distant future. Will there be a bank where individuals can freely trade emotions?