The Dusty World

Gavin Gong

Thesis Faculty:

David Carroll, Barbara Morris

The Dusty World explores perfectionism as an unstable and unsustainable condition. Through repetition, disappearance, and return, the work reflects on the tension between control and impermanence.

The Dusty World is an interactive installation exploring perfectionism and impermanence. The work uses projection mapping, camera tracking, and real-time interaction to create a dynamic layer of “dust” projected onto a Buddha statue. Audience gestures can temporarily remove the dust from the surface, but the dust continually returns, creating a repetitive cycle in which attempts to reach a fully clean or perfect state repeatedly fail.

Inspired by Buddhist philosophy and psychological perspectives on perfectionism, the project reflects on the tension between effort and instability. Rather than presenting perfection as an achievable goal, the installation frames it as a constantly shifting and unsustainable condition.

Gavin Gong

MFA design & technology

Gavin Gong is a visual designer with a background in visual communication, and an interest in the intersection of design, business, and operations. He received his bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication from Tsinghua University.

His work spans brand identity, visual systems, and digital design, with experience across both studio and in-house environments. He has worked on projects ranging from identity development to marketing and communication design, contributing to outcomes that translate into measurable engagement and business impact.

Gavin approaches design not only as a visual practice, but as a way of thinking—one that connects ideas and real-world contexts. He is interested in translating concepts into systems that are expressive and grounded.

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