Memory Koi

Working with collaborators and ArtGuild, we developed the virtual koi pond and sculpture “Memory Koi” as a relaxation tool for patients in Memorial Sloan Kettering’s new David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care. Designed to respond to interaction as well as passive viewers, the pond serves to create a peaceful and reflective space in an environment often defined by anxiety.

Structured as a continuous pool, the pond begins with a form that enhances the conceit of a man-made pond. Multiple heights serve to not only give it more sculptural form, but increase accessibility to patients who might have temporary or long-term disabilities. Plants serve to not only give it an organic feel, but allow for greater scale while allowing koi to swim across more than 25ft of “pond” at extremely high resolution.

The koi themselves are designed to embody both natural and magical qualities. The fish can be calm, excited, inquisitive, or scared. Behaviorally they pool, school, feed, swim under the plants, magically transform with secret user inputs, and even deliver messages of encouragement to patients. Proximity detection around the pond allow the koi to “signal” the arrival of a visitor and give the user the option for how they want to interact. For some patients, simply dragging their finger through the water and seeing the koi respond can be soothing and meditative. For others, a more substantial interaction with the koi and plants around them is more satisfying.