Whose Ruler Rules?
Jiayin Ding
Measurement isn't just about recording neutral physical data.
It's shaped by culture, history, personal experience—even power.
In this thesis, I explore how what we often call “objective” measurement actually carries a lot of hidden assumptions
and bias.
I invite us to rethink:
What does it mean to measure something?
Can personal and subjective ways of measuring coexist with universal standards?
I draw on ideas from both philosophy and quantum physics—especially Carlo Rovelli’s Relational Quantum Mechanics—which
tells us that measurement is not about uncovering an absolute truth, but about relationships.
This relational view helps us see measurement not as fixed or neutral, but as something fluid, shaped by who is
observing, and in what context.
BOOK DESIGN [ front & back ]
We always think that measurements are precise and neutral; But this book reveals that the ruler's shadow also carries the shape of the human being. Measurement is no longer a dispassionate record, but a relational event that takes place between the observer and the world.
[ content ]
TIME ZONE RULER
As I gather into the measurement of time, I realize that the concept of time from the perspective of the human community, the group, and the individual is quite different. Based on this proposition, I designed this set in conjunction with the shape of a set of rulers.
INSTALLATION [ time zone ruler ]