Architectural Cases

Innovating Pediatric Care with Empathy and Technology

The Genesis of Oneiro: Addressing Pediatric Anxiety in Medical Settings

Designer Jiumo Wang, alongside researchers from ShanghaiTech University and Fudan University's Eye and ENT Hospital, spearheaded the creation of Oneiro. This innovative healthcare design project endeavors to re-envision the pediatric medical journey through emotionally intelligent interaction. Specifically tailored for children aged four to thirteen afflicted with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Oneiro seeks to mitigate the apprehension and stress frequently associated with procedures such as nasal endoscopy. Unveiled at Milan Design Week 2026, the project aims to transform pre-examination waiting times into moments of tranquility, empowerment, and creative engagement. Positioned as an early prototype for the AI companion hospital of 2050, the system explores how emotional support can be seamlessly woven into future clinical environments.

Oneiro's Core: An Interactive Device Fostering Calm Through Breath

Central to the Oneiro experience is an interactive device, ingeniously shaped like a conch shell. Before undergoing their medical examination, children are invited to gently blow into a disposable mouthpiece. As they exhale, their breath is visually translated into serene digital displays that gracefully evolve on a screen in real-time. This transformative interaction allows children to actively participate in their experience, using their own breathing to sculpt peaceful virtual landscapes, thereby replacing anxious waiting with engaging creation. The contact-free nature of the interaction ensures hygiene and ease of integration into hospital settings, effectively reducing pre-treatment stress.

Reframing Medical Apprehension: Oneiro's Impact at Milan Design Week

Showcased at Archivi Futuri in ZONAK, Isola, Oneiro was part of a broader discourse on the future of preservation, emotional memory, and technological evolution beyond 2050. Curated by Isola and Pietro Petrillo, the exhibition united international designers and studios exploring methods of archiving cultural production, emotions, and daily experiences through AI, craftsmanship, and sustainable design. Within this expansive context, Oneiro offered a nuanced perspective on healthcare technology, one deeply rooted in empathy, emotional resilience, and care-centric interaction.

Empowering Children: Psychological Needs and Emotional Resilience

Oneiro positions young patients as active collaborators in shaping their emotional journey, addressing three fundamental psychological requirements: fostering immediate feelings of security, promoting autonomy through predictable interactions, and cultivating long-term emotional resilience. By transforming the act of breathing into a creative medium, the design skillfully recontextualizes an action often linked with anxiety into one associated with tranquility and achievement. Jiumo Wang's vision is to provide crucial support to families navigating demanding hospital visits, simultaneously enhancing communication and building trust between medical professionals and young patients. The system lays the groundwork for a scalable model of emotionally responsive healthcare environments, where empathy is inherently integrated into the technological framework, rather than being an afterthought.

Future Horizons: AI Integration and Emotional Passports

Envisioning future applications, the innovative design student and the research team foresee the integration of AI-driven personalization and the development of a 'digital emotional passport.' This passport would serve to track a child's emotional trajectory across various medical encounters. Through this more compassionate approach to healthcare technology, Oneiro heralds a future where clinical spaces are defined by care, emotional intelligence, and deeply empathetic interactions.

Embrace the Journey of Shared Nurturing at the Japan Pavilion

Experiencing "Grass Babies, Moon Babies": An Act of Collective Nurturing

At the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, the Japan Pavilion unveils Ei Arakawa-Nash's compelling installation, "Grass Babies, Moon Babies," transforming the space into an arena of tactile and emotional engagement. Here, guests are presented with one of 208 infant dolls and encouraged to carry them throughout the pavilion's diverse environments, including the open piloti, serene garden, and interior galleries. This act, seemingly straightforward, invites participants to temporarily embrace the role of a caregiver, initiating an immediate and profound connection with the artwork.

The Evolving Significance of Each Doll and Every Gesture

Initially, the act of selecting a doll and holding it close might appear uncomplicated. However, as visitors navigate the exhibition, the experience quickly deepens with emotional and symbolic weight. These infant figures are far from mere static exhibits; they are dynamic elements, circulating through the space cradled in arms, resting on shoulders, and evoking moments of tenderness, contemplation, and occasionally, slight awkwardness. Throughout the day, the pavilion hums with these myriad small acts of focused attention, as attendees become increasingly aware of each other's presence and the collective responsibility they share.

Integrating Art and Environment: "Grass Babies, Moon Babies" Beyond the Walls

Set within the striking modernist architecture of the Japan Pavilion in the Giardini, the exhibition's scope extends beyond conventional gallery confines, spilling into the surrounding natural landscape. The open-air piloti and meandering pathways become integral to the artwork's flow, enabling individuals carrying the dolls to move fluidly in and out of sight. Arakawa-Nash, a Japanese American artist, strategically employs this dynamic circulation to gently reduce the hurried pace often associated with art observation, fostering a more mindful and introspective engagement.

Diaper Poems and Shared Rituals: Unveiling Layers of Connection

A pivotal moment in the exhibition unfolds at a communal station, where visitors are invited to change the dolls' diapers. Each doll features a QR code that, when scanned, reveals a concise "diaper poem" linked to an assigned birthday. These poetic fragments subtly interweave intimate care rituals with broader historical narratives. The specific birthdays serve as markers, connecting individual experiences with larger societal and political currents, positioning the dolls as enigmatic figures existing between fictional characters, future generations, and silent witnesses to history. This aspect of the work profoundly suggests that acts of care are inextricably linked to their surrounding conditions, whether they be personal, institutional, environmental, or national.

Arakawa-Nash's Artistic Evolution: From Collective Performance to Queer Kinship

For Ei Arakawa-Nash, whose artistic journey has consistently explored collective performance and the fluidity of authorship, "Grass Babies, Moon Babies" signifies a significant evolution. This exhibition delves into themes arising from parenthood and queer kinship. Drawing inspiration from historical movements such as Gutai, Fluxus, Happenings, and Judson Dance Theater, Arakawa-Nash's earlier collaborative performances challenged fixed identities and individual control. In this latest work, these influences are reinterpreted through the persistent, tender actions of caregiving: holding, cleaning, comforting, and patiently waiting.

An Atmosphere of Intimacy: Laughter, Tenderness, and Unscripted Interactions

"Grass Babies, Moon Babies" creates a rich tapestry of experiences through its careful accumulation of elements and evocative atmosphere. Within the pavilion, laughter, uncertainty, tenderness, and occasional discomfort blend seamlessly. Some visitors instinctively embrace the dolls with ease, while others grapple with an initial unsureness in how to hold them. Children interact with the installation differently than adults, and groups often gather to compare the dolls' birthdays and poems. These spontaneous and unchoreographed interactions become an essential, living part of the exhibition itself, highlighting the organic unfolding of collective intimacy.

Interdependence and Gradual Revelation: The Core of the Exhibition

Co-curated by Horikawa Lisa and Takahashi Mizuki, the pavilion conceptualizes care as a fundamental framework of interdependence. Amidst the grandeur of this year's Biennale, the exhibition introduces a more understated, intimate spatial language, deeply rooted in the practices of maintenance, repetition, and physical closeness. The emotional resonance of the project is not immediate but emerges gradually, fostered by sustained participation and the passage of time within the space.

A Journey Beyond Venice: Extending the Dialogue of Care

Throughout the Biennale's duration, the exhibition will feature ongoing audience activations and a series of live performances by Arakawa-Nash and collaborating artists, further enriching the participatory experience. Following its run in Venice, "Grass Babies, Moon Babies" is set to travel, first to Hannover's Kestner Gesellschaft, and will conclude its journey with a presentation at Tokyo's Artizon Museum in 2027, continuing its global dialogue on the profound nature of care.