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Trauma Crematorium
Kris Genevieve (Changmin) Choi
Kris Genevieve's TRAUMA CREMATORIUM project aims to create a transformative and healing space for individuals to confront and process communal trauma. By delving into the past, documenting traumatic experiences, and memorializing them, the project seeks to challenge societal norms and empower individuals to open up about their traumas. The idea is to create an environment where individuals feel safe, supported, and free from judgment, providing them with a valuable opportunity to release their burdens and move forward. This project is not about forgetting or erasing the past but about acknowledging, understanding, and finding ways to heal from it. It underlines the importance of creating spaces that promote empathy, understanding, and healing for individuals affected by communal trauma. Through this project, I aim to initiate a dialogue about the impact of communal trauma and the possibilities for healing and resilience.
Kris Genevieve (Changmin) Choi
I am a graphic designer located in Berlin. My goal is to make design accessible and comprehensive for people from all walks of life. I believe in creating designs that are not only visually appealing, but also empowering and giving voice to people.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
Lung cancer survivors meet up.
What is a good design for you?
Good design can have different meanings for different users. A designer alone cannot determine what constitutes good design, as it is speculated on the experience of the end user rather than the intentions of the designer. For me as a user, good design involves empathy, thoughtfulness, and intuition.
What was the most challenging experience during your studies?
The most challenging experience I've had was constantly trying to fit my disabled body and mind to able-bodied expectations. Most of the days, my disability affects my body and my mind greatly. It has been a constant challenge for me to be able to wake up early for the early lectures, focusing during the lectures, manage assignments and their deadlines while maintaining social life, which are expected for everyone to be able to manage equally.
Who or what inspires you?
People who wake up before 9 and sleep before 12. Or Chicken Joe from Surf's Up.
How do you approach a new project?
I first construct a concept based on the topic in question. Then, I research where I find related articles and visuals to empathize with the topic. Then, I translate words into visuals and visuals into words to make the system out of the design. I repeat and prototype until I have something that satisfies me. Lastly, I put the design to the test and see if it works the way I envisioned.
What advice would you give to students who just started studying in your programme?
Find your own pace and get on with it. Sometimes, things go the way you didn’t expect it to go, but that is okay. Get back on it again when you can and you are never falling behind anyone. Have a better day than yesterday and never trust a man who wears a wife beater.
Have you changed during your studies? How?
Yes. Initially, I believed that design was solely about creating a space for users to experience and that my role as a designer was to attract them to it. However, as I delved deeper into the principles and theories of design, I came to realize that this was not the case. I now understand that a designer's role is to engage with the space they create, often doing so alongside the users themselves. Additionally, I've learned that design is not the sole effort of one individual, but rather a collaborative process involving those who have inspired and assisted me along the way, as well as those who have provided opportunities for growth.
Why did you choose to study in your programme?
Visa. But then it grew on me because sometimes people say nice things about what I did.
What are you not going to miss in your studies?
The white-walled mental hospital building, which allegedly is our university campus.
How are you going to celebrate your graduation?
Sleepmaxxing.
