Recent Posts

Hyper-essay : sculptures related to human

Danning

Thursday, Feb 18, 2016 - 04:48:01 am

@ chen0907

My hyper-essay is going to talk about Marc Quinn’s Planet and Kumi Yamashita’s Origami Shadow Art. Both of them are interesting and mind-blowing sculptures but made of different materials and techniques. Also, their concepts and process making are not the same in many aspects either.

In 2011, shadow artist Kumi Yamashita, was commissioned by American Read more →

Categories: Case Studies | fifty shades
Tags: comparison | floating baby | hyper-essay | Kumi Yamashita | Marc Quinn | Origami shadow art | planet | process making | sculptre
(6) Show Comments
Kamarule
'His assistant beavers away quietly in the background, making phone calls, tapping on the computer. The concrete floor is heated. The music is just about hearing level', I'm not too sure how this statement is relevant here. Maybe you can add in your essay stating the similarities that both of this work are actually site specific. I agree with you on how both project's process would take a very long time to plan and execute. Well, I like that you picked 2 projects that shared the same element, which that of human anatomy. I like how you mention how the shadows of the origami is an immaterial entity but you might also want to think about the Planet's shadows as well. Do they serve the same purpose or its an extension of the artwork.
permagnus
Quinn's piece might be site-specific, created for a commission by GBTB (was it??), but isn't the origami piece very easy to move from one gallery to any other?
permagnus
Hej Daning, IMPORTANT: you must add "fifty shades" as a category to your post, otherwise it doesn't come up on the main page..! can you add links to the original posts on OSS of the two projects? Nice that you point out that "the human shape" connects the two projects, i think you are right there; and then, each art project transforms the way we understand "body", in different ways, by manipulating scale and massiveness. You describe Quinn's "big, white studio in Hoxton, east London. It’s modern, functional – not like a lab, not quite, but rather clinical" so well that I think you've visited it! The film clip is nice, but it would have been great with a narrative guiding what is going on, don't you agree? Some people speak italian, are you sure it's in London? As Kamarul suggests, there might be parallels between the pieces in terms of their planning and execution – in addition to their shared subject matter – and that could be explored further.
Kamarule
the origami piece i believe is site specific because She was commission by American express to portray the people working over there through the use of the shadow origami.
Angel
I do see a linking concept running through these two projects. However, it is interesting to note that both works seems to be difficult to transport. As Marc Quinn’s Planet is a huge sculpture and Kumi Yamashita’s Origami Shadow Art is something which is so intricate that one small dent can ruin the work. It could be interesting to explore if there were any difficulties faced in doing the project.
Chou
I like the comparison between the materials. There is a huge different between the medium, thus the presentation is so much different but both are related to human shapes. In terms of transportation, the way of handling the projects is different. Paper is fragile and sculpture needs more than one person to carry. The selection of the material is also part of the planning.
Reply

SR / GS

Faye

Thursday, Feb 18, 2016 - 03:01:13 am

@ ylim033

Things people find funny on the internet appear to be arbitrary and contrary in nature. Games as different as Saints Row and Goat Simulator can both be similarly categorised under ‘funny’, and that’s funny.

Saints’ Row is a game about gangland violence, and finds it’s origins in the decidedly unfunny circumstances of gang turf wars, and organised crime syndicates. The writing Read more →

Categories: Case-studies | Fifty Shades
Tags: comedy | fifty shades | games | goat simulator | saints row
(6) Show Comments
Kamarule
Lovely write up! I like how you describe both games in such a simpler way and using your own words to explain them in details. It seems both project manager of both games have different agenda I guess and for the case of the Goat Simulator, it was an intentional decision to leave the game 'incomplete' so it is up to the players to finish it. This is an interesting unconventional way to approach a project and I am wondering if we can apply it in real life. Haha.
Faye
That's where the next layer of interactivity lies, I suppose? To get the players to participate further and 'complete' the project for you. I think most interactive art works already have that element in some capacity.
permagnus
Hi Faye, I understand you are comparing projects “Saints Row” and “Goat Simulator” but can you please add links to the original posts on OSS of the two projects? The idea of user/player feedback as part of the iterative design process is very apt. About the Goat Simulator: I’m intrigued by the idea that “many glitches [were] intentionally left in, in order to retain it’s appeal”. Can you explain more? Why do ‘glitches’ create appeal? What kind of glitches? And how did the developers get to know the ‘correct amount’ of glitches..? Would be great if you can explain a bit more how that worked. here’s another interesting observation that begs further discussion: You said that “and the internet liked it” (the Goat Simulator). How and when can this happen in general (can we MAKE it happen, or is it by fluke?) how did the “GS” developers know which glitches people liked in this specific case? When you describe the design philosophy of Saints Row, you write “the team wanted to…” something something or “Saints Row developers felt…” so and so. Is this your personal interpretation from the experience of playing? or is it stated by the design team? Can you include a quote and reference (e.g. link to the company webpage where they describe the ideation of the game). Your comparisons with specific game techniques seem relevant (e.g. “rag doll physics”), but do add a definition or give an example so the reader can follow how it applies to this case.
Angel
I think it was really good that you picked out the different nature of the two games and talked about how even though they are both games, the developing process was very different and for GS, the nature of the game required that process of it not being planned as precise as SR.
Chou
I don't play games but it's good to have this simplified explanation between these two games. It would be good to know the budget of creating both games.
Erik Åhlander
A nice review between two similar projects executed in a quite different way. I like how you separate the projects from each other and line up their differences even from their initial start. But I think that you could have tried to describe how these differences affected the projects output, what divides a big scale project from a small scale when creating the product.
Reply

Hyper-essay: the ephemeral

Jazlyn

Thursday, Feb 18, 2016 - 02:28:45 am

@ jkoo002

Selected projects: Ice Hotel & The Fragility of Time

The first thing that strikes me about both of these projects is the ephemerality of the artworks. Weeks, months, and maybe years of careful work and planning have been put into these projects, only for them to last perhaps a month or two at best.

The Fragility of Read more →

Categories: Fifty Shades
(4) Show Comments
Kamarule
50 people compare to 1 Ignacio. Do you think the synergy formed by the 50 people would make the ICE Hotel a better project than The Fragility of Time? I like how you compare 2 works according to their impermanence state. I did Ignacio's artwork as well but I did not see it that way, so you certainly open up my mind and eyes. You mention Ramroth's 5 phases of project management in your essay. In your opinion, how do the closure of this 2 projects would be? Will they be different?
permagnus
Hi Jazlyn, Can you add links to the original posts on OSS of the two projects? It seems that fragility, impermanence (cf. Kamarul), and time constraints are concepts common to the two projects. How does this play out in terms of project management? You can analyse by creating fantasies! For example, imagine that you are the architect given the task of designing next winter’s Ice Hotel. You are given a location and a budget by the local community. What would your priorities be? Would you follow last years success recipe, or create something entirely new..? Other project: imagine that Ignacio Aracil calls you up (on Twitter?) one fine day and wants to hire you as PM for his first show in Singapore. Say yes! He wants you to start with his creations and from that make ten wearable flower sculpture-dresses for a fashion show in Singapore in four months time. How would you set up the budget? Who would you rope in? At which venue would you show it?
Jazlyn
Sure, will do. Project management would be similar to other creations, except that motivation may not be as high because the final product is transient. It's also always harder to work with fragile materials than sturdy ones that will endure through wear and tear. Budgeting would be a problem because fragility and impermanence in a project makes it less forgiving. If I was an architect working for the Ice Hotel, to be honest, I'd follow the success recipe, but add a twist. The hotel itself is successful, but the theme is subject to creativity. Perhaps I would try a theme that has not been attempted before.
Pearlynn
Hi Jazlyn! The title for your hyper essay struck me and I also enjoyed the essay of yours. Probably you can also touch upon the significance of these projects? Touching on what Kamarul had mentioned, “50 people compared to 1 Ignacio” why wouldn’t Aracil do the project with more people? Amongst the 50 people, not 50 of them are project managers too, who can be identified as the one spearheading the project? Despite the projects being ephemeral, I also would like to add that the Ice Hotel occurs periodically while Aracil’s project is probably done only once. However, the future of Aracil’s project can be amplified in a sense of being placed in exhibition after exhibition, provided the flowers are still intact! :)
Reply

Hyper Essay "What is Performance?"

Josephine

Thursday, Feb 18, 2016 - 01:46:23 am

@ Josephine

Performance. What is performance, or rather what do you think about when you hear the word ‘performance’?

Darryl talked about the critically acclaimed musical, Wicked. From it’s origins as words in a book to sold out tickets on Broadway (and in international waters), Wicked has become one of the most famous and popular musicals in the world.

Read more →

Categories: Case-studies | Fifty Shades
Tags: amalia ulman | fifty shades | instagram | musical | performance | social media | wicked
(5) Show Comments
D
Great comparison on the scale of the projects. Amalia's performance being a solo one while Wicked being a large scale one. This must have involved a lot of human resource management skills on the part of the producers of Wicked in contrast to Amalia's work. What do you think would be problems faced if one wanted to recreate Amalia's project on a scale as large as Wicked? Would the human resource elements differ from that of Wicked? #Fifty Shades
Josephine
If the same amount of funds were given to a large scale recreation of Amalia's project, I think those who participate wouldn't have to put themselves through the financial struggles that Amalia's went through whereby she engaged in getting herself a sugar-daddy in order to keep her head above water. However, I think a major difficulty in recreating Amalia's project on a large scale would be keeping everything undisclosed. To find people who would be able to subject themselves to what she has without facing major ramifications, the negative comments received can be seen as 'online bullying' which has led to depression, and sometimes even suicide. Those who are unable to handle might feel inclined to expose the truth behind the project thereby tearing down the facade that they have built for the performance.
Kamarule
I agree with Josephine on how you categorise both projects as a performance. I would like to point out that even Amalia's project needs a big wardrobe and props! She carefully frame each photograph and cropping out any unnecessary part before posting, so to me that is part of planning as well. But nevertheless, both projects are of different scale and I like how Darryl suggest that what if Amalia's project were to go large scale. I think I have an answer to that. Advertising, fashion commercial photography. Those project are actually as a bigger scale, getting the right model, the right wardrobe and also the right photographer.
permagnus
Hi Josephine, i’m uncertain which previous project posts you are referring to. Can you please add links to the original posts of the two projects on OSS? Interesting choice of contrasting projects: large budget vs small, short execution vs long. I’m unsure if it’s possible to state that “The planning for Wicked never ends, in fact it still goes on today” because in principle each performance is based on the same script and there might only be minor variations between shows. The ‘planning’ of a musical performance leads to a libretto a.k.a. script (and a musical score, and lighting plan, and floor plan, and costume design etc). Once these are delivered, the design is executed by a skilled, trained cast and tech operators over an hour or two. The difference in scale (number of people involved) between the two projects is remarkable and you discuss it well. In terms of execution, i understand your argument that Ulman’s project was to continuously reinvent the poses and selfies in order to feed into the “self-made myth” at the same time it was taking shape. There’s perhaps less of a plan and more of an iterative design with numerous updates. During what time period (start and ‘end’, if any) does her work develop? Another point (in your reply), can you explain what you mean by “sugar-daddy [helping her] to keep her head above water”? A boyfriend who supported her? or a fan who bought her work? Finally, I think Kamarul is correct when pointing out that upscaling or simply developing further Ulman’s project would lead to commercial fashion photography, rather than Martin Schoeller.
Josephine
I agree that her performance took a lot of planning, no doubt about that, especially since she had to convince everyone that she had gotten breast implants and had to make sure that her breasts looked bigger in every photograph thereafter. However, I didn't stop the think about the amount of props and the amount of clothes needed to create this persona of hers, as well as the framing of the photos to make them convincing. Thanks for that (: I would say that to put Amalia's project into advertising, fashion and commercial photography would be difficult. Social media is used to advertise a lot of products, and, in fact, Amalia did fake a paid sponsor/advertising post. But the way in which her project and advertising is done is different. The performance she gave us was a facade till the end and only received critical acclaim when she concluded. To create controversy around a brand or model before revealing is was all a advertising ploy can be risky and may even cause a loss in followers, support, and perhaps even a drop in stock value for large companies, causing more damage than rewards.
Reply

Guest Speaker Candice Ng

D

Thursday, Feb 18, 2016 - 01:40:20 am

@ Pixel 林

Impressions

Browsing through Candice Ng’s work, I have come to be intrigued by the connections between human relations and objects. This is evident in her Exhibition “Sleep in the Power Sockets”.

Works

The works that peaked my interest the most was that of “New Artifacts of Remembering” and “Alternative Rituals of Remembering”.

New Artifacts of Read more →

Categories: Case Studies
Tags: artifacts | Candice Ng | digital | memories
0 comments.
Reply

Trees and Sculptures

D

Wednesday, Feb 17, 2016 - 11:58:51 pm

@ Pixel 林

Introduction

Wood has always been a popular medium in art. But these two artists create more than just your average sculpture or carving.

This essay is an exploration into the concepts and processes behind the work of Ai Wei Wei’s “Trees” and Paul Kaptein’s “Warped Wood Sculptures”.

Trees by Ai Wei Wei

Ai Read more →

Categories: Case Studies | Fifty Shades
Tags: Ai Wei Wei | China | Fifty Shades | glitch art | Management | Paul Kaptein | Perth | planning | Trees | wood
(3) Show Comments
Kamarule
Nice structure of your essay darryl! Good choice of projects to choose as both share the same element of wood and both are also Sculptures. I agree with you that Ai Weiwei as a project manager holds a very important role as he needs to be good in project management as he is working with other people to make his project a reality. Without a good team and a planning, the sculpture would take a longer time to finish. So good that you are able to identify the element in Ai Weiwei's work. In fact, most of his artworks, requires a big group of people and craftsmen. He as an artist is the project manager, and those who is working for him, execute it.
permagnus
Hi Darryl, It’s good you have links to articles about the works button you also add clickable links to the original posts of the two projects on OSS? Good, clear disposition of the analysis: first identfying similarities (good choice of physical MATERIAL), then the differences, and finally a conclusion that planning is paramount to success in both projects. Ai’s work certainly has more of a project management character. The two projects have other dimensions that might be of interest. For example, Ai’s work has an undertone of critique of Chinese contemporary society, hinting that people (“parts of a tree”) are bound together by force rather than natural growth. By contrast, Kaptein’s work is more playful, even comical! Do you think he would ever do a commission of a portrait bust /sculpture of a famous person (for the sake of argument, imagine him portraying Pope Francis or Queen Elizabeth - what would it be like?)
permagnus
auto spelling manipulator! i wrote "but can you also add"…
Reply

Hyper Essay: The Weather Project x Tree

Cindy Chan

Wednesday, Feb 17, 2016 - 11:35:20 pm

@ C I N D Y

The two projects that I selected for this “hyper-essay” are ‘The Weather Project’ by Olafur Elisasson and ‘Tree’ by Ai Weiwei.

I will start this text by giving a brief introduction of both projects. ‘The Weather Project’, 2003 by Olafur Eliasson showcases representations of the sun and sky that dominated the expanse of the Turbine Read more →

Categories: fifty shades
Tags: AiWeiWei | art | budget | execution | installation | OlafurElisasson | scope | Time | tree | Weather
(4) Show Comments
Kamarule
Nice essay Cindy. You managed to link both project's to Ramroth's book and theory. i agree with you that both projects do bring people together, because it is something you don't see everyday. I was hoping you would discuss the different location of both projects as The Weather Project is indoor while Ai Weiwei's work is outdoor. I would beg to differ when you say that the execution phase is the most important because I feel the execution is just the 20 percent of the final artwork. According to Parento's Principle, I feel that the planning and design takes about 80% of the whole project while executing it would be the final 20% as everything is already planned accordingly, therefore execution is mainly putting it all together.
permagnus
Hi Cindy, can you edit and include clickable links to the original posts of the two projects? Really good that you interpret the projects in relation to Ramroth’s project management phases, and with several pertinent reflections. Execution certainly an important phase (always!) though, one could argue that since both Ai’s and Eliasson’s pieces are concept artwork, the work to create them places more emphasis on ideation and planning (early stages) than execution (middle stages).
Kristoffer Wännerdahl
Great and interesting essay! One can tell that theses projects have much in common. First of all, I like how you bring in the artists’ voices by quoting them regarding the purpose of their artworks ('unify' people), which you also relate to later in your analysis. I did some research as both artists are completely unknown for me and I immediately found out about Ai Weiwei's political activities and controversies with the Chinese government. In his words, "Freedom of speech is the very essence of human rights", and his work explores freedom and its restriction in capitalist societies. In the case of tree, as choice of material, I can't help to feel that Ai Weiwei's 'Tree' installation is a bit provocative in some sense. What do you think? Just like Kamarul and PerMagnus mentioned before, I also like how you interpret the theory. I wish you have used this theory even more and given more concrete examples related to the projects. Great job overall!!
Peng Cheng
These two projects are very differently showcased, but yet they seem to have a common goal. In the essay, you focused the workflow and the impact (on the society) of both works. I feel that both projects have very noble goals especially when the world have always had the problem of dealing with conflicts diplomatically. I believe that these artist all have a lot of planning experience as they have been through a lot of past projects. Even if they did not read Ramroth's book, their past failures would allow them adapt to the situation accordingly.
Reply

Sunlight glows in & the dress that shy away

Pearlynn

Wednesday, Feb 17, 2016 - 11:11:51 pm

@ Artefactually Lost

Looking into what Vivian and Darryl had brought into this project discussion, particularly “The Butterfly Dress” and the “House Made of Windows”. I chosen these two projects to discuss as they not only tie-in my interests of technology and nature but also the fact that it the project management is carried out with a small group of 2 people.

[Vivian’s Read more →

Categories: Fifty Shades
Tags: dress | fifty shades | house | light | nature | project | technology | wearable technology | windows
(6) Show Comments
Kamarule
I find this essay talks about more on the project rather than comparing both of them in accordance to Project Management. I feel the selection of both projects is a very daring one as both projects are really different but this could be really interesting if you really compare them. In fact, I can see a similarity in terms of the work they put into the design before executing it. Both projects requires planning in terms of the design and the composition as the execution part is what makes the final product.
permagnus
It's a good succinct summing-up of both works. I am guessing, but could it be that you chose these two projects because both of them refer to something which is 'external façade' (either a house or a person's clothes), and thus they are about finding ways to construct, embellish, and adorn the thin layer that separates someone 'inside' (inside the house, inside the clothes) from the environment? Could you develop this further? Or if you think I'm guessing all wrong, explain why, or what the parallels between the two chosen projects might be?
Kristoffer Wännerdahl
I really like how you describe them as individual projects, but I also wish you had drawn more parallels between them in relation to project management. As you mention, the couple had limitations in terms of money and manpower but they also had to make some personal sacrifices during the several months long construction phase. Those sacrifices are difficult to measure or set in relation (or is it even possible?). Anyway, it's really inspiring to read about people doing such things to fullfil their dreams. It is really cool what you can do with and how you can integrate today's technology. Do you know how much it cost to create the dress or the technology behind it? $500 for a house seems a trifling matter, even though they used a lot of recycled materials, in comparison with a high-technology dress. I can only imagine the amount of sensors and the work, such as programming, needed to control 40 butterflies. Regarding the different phases, I feel that process for “House Made of Windows” is more straight forward and linear. The couple had a lot of limitations to take into considerations. Whilst with the "Butterfly Dress", the process were more cyclical to get desired behavior of the butterflies. What do you think?
Pearlynn
Haha, yes @Kamarul I actually overlooked adding on Ramroth's theory of project management and I would like to briefly mention them here instead of editing the original post (in case it's been graded already) Both projects have fulfilled the role of "sole proprietorship”. As the duo are the bosses of their own work. To also focus on their constraints, the "House made of Windows" undoubtedly has to take into account planning for fitting the windows into a frame while “Butterfly Dress” is fixed upon a piece of garment. Additionally, as these projects are rather unique and small-scale, it did not encouraged the project manager to approach iterative design. Instead, we delve straight to the linear production. This is actually against what Ramroth mentions about moving from the “iterative to the linear” in most designer projects (pg 195). Of course, we still touch upon the 5 phases of project management “start, plan, design, execute, close”. Which I hoped to had covered them in my post earlier. :) And Yes! Projects like these may have an unpredictable result despite careful planning so you do have a good point in mentioning that the final execution counts!
Danning
This eassay is good it compares some important elements between the two projects. I think the budget they have really decide and affect what materials and methods they are going to carry out the projects. The high-tech dress is very cool, however, to me, the House is more challengeable. As they still can develop well their project under such budget shortage, well planning is indispensability.
Pearlynn
Hi Prof! I chose these two projects because I considered about the literal ‘nature' of them, being able to build/craft new forms of what we would normally see as mundane (window, dress … butterflies). The project managers had a new perspective of such things and through good handling, executed the project in their favour. ‘External facade’ is also an interesting phrase to fit under the projects. Though a part of me still thinks that the term applies more to living things, with the cover-up illusion of their image and pride on the outside while internally they are someone different. People can also say, “Do not judge a book by its cover” where the book is "non-living”. Why would people judge non-living things when it's owned by the living? Nonetheless I shouldn’t ramble on about that. I agree that having the facade helps not only to separate yourself on the inside but to also define yourself externally to others. In the case of these projects, the “Butterfly Dress” can never be used to describe the person but the wearer is presented as an amazing, stunning figure. Comparing to a house, people live and breathe in it for longer periods of time than the time interval of wearing clothes, it’s furnished in the same way of however you like it to be. Themes, for example, sets the mood of your personality too. In the case of “House made of Windows”, the designers/project managers adorned their house with antiques, which actually fits their concept of “collection”. Parallels are straight lines, but they can also go in different direction. While I believe that ‘external facade’ can be one of the common angle, there is also the contrast of other aspects in these projects. Something I shouldn’t elaborate now because I will be late for class.
Reply

Rituals of remembering

Chou

Wednesday, Feb 17, 2016 - 10:59:53 pm

@ Ting Chou

A ritual “is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects, performed in a sequestered place, and performed according to set sequence.”

In Candice’s work, there are a few rituals practised to remember her father. We also can see the objects that identify our origins and specific objects that only trigger to some people’s memory.  Eg. incense Read more →

Categories: case-studies
Tags: candice eng | identity | media | memory | remembering | ritual
0 comments.
Reply

Yayoi Kusama's dots obsession

Chou

Wednesday, Feb 17, 2016 - 09:26:32 pm

@ Ting Chou

In this essay, two of Yayoi Kusama’s polka dot series works with be discussed. They are: The Mirrored Room–The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/chou0009/2016/01/21/step-into-infinity/ and the polka dot sculptures in the infinite mirrored room. https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/n1501795d/infinite-polka-dots/

Dots Obsession visually approximates the hallucinations Kusama reportedly suffered as a child, in which the entirety of her surrounding space was covered with repeating patterns. Kusama’s paintings Read more →

Categories: case-studies | fifty shades
Tags: fifty shades | Immersive | infinite | LED | Lights | mirror | polka dots | sculpture | yayoi kusama
(2) Show Comments
Kamarule
I am surprise that you select both projects from the same artist! This could either break or make this essay! Unfortunately, I don't think you did this comparison justice in terms of really comparing in terms of project management. Both projects are different whereas one installation is analog, while the other is not. As both projects are made by the same artist, I was wondering how Kusama approached both projects in terms of time management and the amount of work and planning being put into them. I would argue that with different project, an artist might or might not approached the work differently than their previous works.
permagnus
Hej Daning, for some reason your essay didn't appear on the 'front page'. Have you specified the category "fifty shades" (not just as a tag). can you add links to the original posts on OSS of the two projects? Interesting that you chose two projects by the same artist. WHich one did he do first? Good that you reflect on differences, e.g. in terms of production cost (LED lights etc). One thing I am curious about is TIME. Are the two projects different in terms of how long time you think they would take to a) conceptualize b) plan c) build on-site d) experience as a gallery visitor? Aesthetically speaking, both seem to be dream-like, "magical, and disorientating". Can you find out what the artist says about his intentions?
Reply