CritEx - HW 4

Date: Monday, 10/05/2026

Class: IMALR-GT-202

Name: Janice Vuong

Metaphors | Questions

so my most recent blog post (hw #3 🔗) i basically said balloons is helium

i actually wrote balloons need helium, in my head it is the first association, i think of when balloons are mentioned. balloons float in janice’s world, nothing else

it was hard for me with the association of helium with balloons because i felt bad liking my balloons to float, rather than just human air. however last week i found out that party balloons use recycle helium from the medical helium first so that assuage my long standing guilt with something [balloons] so fun!

so actually my critical lens changed a lot from balloons (in terms of parties) due to BREAKING NEWS (the breaking news announcer sound) that longstanding red shiny heart shaped balloon is gone </33 (from grand central terminal)

how you shape your topic → inflatables = balloons → definitely very something inspired by the loss of the ❤️ balloon (scroll down to informal interviews for further explanation)

Form | Questions

i am going to make something web-based for my topic. i had already chosen this form because of what i was making for project 01 for connections lab

HOWEVER literally on presentation night (night because I am in 8pm EST section with YG!!) one of the alumni feedback was asked me: if i was going to make changes/iterations for my website for Critical Experiences, and i was like actually… i am deleting Project 01 (from Connections Lab) for the project i WILL be making for Critical Experiences

SO FUNNY

i didn’t think i would be switching gears (09/30) but a part of me knew, the project i made for Connections Lab, wouldn’t fit (in my head/lens) for Critical Experiences.

i am HAPPY, i made it still!!

untitled ← website link

so form wise, I am committed for the form for awhile (wanted to do something digital!), but content wise, it keeps changing

• form features: it will be surprise! (or delight), and SOUND (hopefully)

i am being very vague because i think that helps me work on my projects :-(

also because i do not want to spoil the surprise :_(

this will not be a party balloon store finder thing

• what does it ask people to do: explore? yeah explore the website 😎

(i think i will have like a pop-up with a short explanation to explore the website)

Informal Interviews + Studio | Reflections

Last Saturday (10/03) was NYC 2026 Community Processing Day! I helped with Guest Check-Ins and also unintentionally helped me talk to people

1️⃣ Talked to Nataly (IMA undergrad student/shop staff) about her association with balloons.

Positive association: Celebrations, Number Balloons, Festivals, and then she ended with..

→ “you should talk to a kid” (a fair point)

2️⃣ While on the first floor of 370 Jay Street, for Guest Check-In. I spotted a student carrying these pretty iridescent balloons. I bolt from the table (and I was like sorry Mimi you get it, I need to talk to this person ASAP)

Turns out she was an ITP student! She said it was for her robotics project, and the balloons were from Five Below (!!!) ← I did not know they sell balloons.. I go there all the time!!! (surprisingly their hypochlorous acid is a $1 and that much cheaper than Tower 28 hypochlorous acid spray)

3️⃣ MY TURNING POINT AND BREAKING NEWS: Today (Monday), 10/05/2026

I am in a Discord channel about NYC pop-ups (there’s so much going on!!). Anyways, so I remember someone daily (or at least weekly) posts about the red balloon stuck on Grand Central Terminal ceiling

SAD NEWS

it came down </3

Because of their constant posting, made me even look up! (the ceilings in GCT terminal) are beautiful, and I try to always take a moment to appreciate the architectural design that is in this train station, I am so lucky to have, and use (I used to have to go weekly to and from New Haven, CT) I do not have much Penn Station stories, but WAY TOO much Metro-North (like one time train was stranded and received FEMA/boxed water)

So at one point, I even took my own pictures of the heart balloon resting on ceiling of Grand Central Terminal too.

For 8 months.. the shiny red foil heart balloon been on the ceiling since February 2026, and the sighting has been covered by many news outlets, such as the NYTimes (article)

This has definitely been on my mind, and ~inspirational~ to me. the act of a cute red heart-shaped balloon has been stuck on the ceiling among the Pieces constellation of stars in Grand Central terminal.

and quite a few online laments (and cries) of sadness of the beloved balloon final chapter

also just pretty, New York.

like it was way too high on the ceiling for anyone to unfathomably reach. the ceiling itself historical (and protocols), and the course of action since February 2026: was to wait until the helium ran out.

the context of the balloon ending up on the ceiling is kismet (a word i am borrowing from rylee, that she told me on saturday, 10/03 about different interaction i had)

kismet is like destiny? like meant to be!

the lovely heart-shaped balloon was brought for a celebration! and was lost control and floated to the ceiling

(and for many, admired) over these past few months

so that is what is happening in my studio! some final last minute inspiration <333