Unfinished Farewell: A Digital Tribute to COVID-19 Victims

An immersive online space commemorating lives lost to the pandemic

Unfinished Farewell stands out for its innovative approach to commemorating the victims of the pandemic. Visitors can explore each individual's "tomb", learning about their stories and viewing the help-seeking information they posted before their passing. The design team, led by Jiabao Li, sought to create an atmosphere of sorrow, grief, solemnity, melancholy, mourning, and agony, mirroring the emotions one might experience when visiting a physical tomb.

The project's unique properties lie in its ability to humanize the statistics associated with the pandemic. While there are many ways to visualize COVID-19 data, Unfinished Farewell provides a platform to visualize and relate to death on a personal level. Behind every number, the project reminds us, is a life.

The design was realized using a particle system written with three.js and floating messages inside each chamber written with p5.js. The team manually collected all the information about the deceased by contacting their families and from Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, to provide a comprehensive understanding of each individual's story.

The interactive design allows visitors to leave messages that float within the digital space. These messages range from expressions of grief and confusion to heartfelt tributes and memories. The project has received significant recognition, being exhibited at various contemporary art exhibitions and featured in the South China Morning Post's Inside China Tech podcast.

Despite the challenges faced during the design process, including surveillance by cyber police in China and the emotional toll of data collection, the team persevered. They set up the server in the US to avoid being taken down by the "internet wall" in China and continued their work despite harassment from the police. Their efforts culminated in a unique digital space that provides a platform for collective mourning and remembrance.

Unfinished Farewell is not just a web design; it's a testament to the human lives behind the pandemic statistics. It's a space where sorrow, grief, and mourning are acknowledged and shared. It's a reminder that behind every number is a life, a story, and a person who will be remembered.