Selah is a project which embodies a moment of pause and reflection to bring mindfulness into how we inhabit the city's open space. 

Selah consists of three elements.
First element is crowd-sourced location specific public spaces within the city that are somewhat less known yet is considered  as hidden gems. The app component of Selah will geolocate the nearest Selah locations and guide users to the place. When the user arrives at the location, it will restrict user’s mobile device by shutting off the network signals. While the mobile device is not in use, the users are encouraged to place their mobile device in the Selah pouch. When done, users can use the log in the pouch to record the moment spent at the location.

Pause:

We are often disconnected from our surroundings due to many reasons. It can be high use of technology, anxiety, fatigue, etc. We are overstimulated and overloaded with various factors which inhibit us from indulging the beautiful poetics of public space.

A short pause from technology and any other distractions will connect us back to our surroundings, allowing us to rest and be in the moment.

Selah app will allow one to have a short pause through disconnection from the mobile virtual space by shutting off network signals and detecting movements on their mobile device.

Wander:

Take a walk when our anxiety or thoughts cloud our state of mind.  Wander in the city’s labyrinth with highrises and busy streets and discover new get-away locations within the city.

Selah app provides map for one to find Selah locations. Uncovering new city oasis within the ordinary will allow one to experience the city in new perspective.

Pausing, reflecting and recording one’s moment also helps one wander in mind. One’s experience of going to the location and stepping back out into the ordinary will be similar to the labyrinth experience.

Reflect:

When our days overflow with to-do-s, one often forget to actually look one’s self in the mirror. After all those hectic daily life moments have passed and to be confronted with one’s reflected self could be quite depressing.

The mirrors attached on the branch of Selah reflects one’s physical self. It is a quiet reminder to reflect one’s need to look after one’s self.

After one’s moment spent at the location, one can also note their personal reflection on the log included in the Selah pocket. This will allow one’s Selah experience more memorable and rooted in the self-reflection.

Record:

To be aware of every moment and to be fully in the moment, it is important to look closely at how the moments are recorded.

Untreated steel surface of Selah will rust overtime. It is not the pristine steel surface but the rusted surface that makes Selah engrained with the mark of time.

The Selah plant in the app not only serves as a screen-saver purpose, but also notes the length of time spent at the location. Longer the time spent at location, more the plant will grow.

One’s personal record of the moment can be done on the log included in the pouch.

The pictures below are Selah at Emily Carr University's Degree Show Exhibition in May 2015