Category Archives: Project

Final Project, Process, Project, Research

4D Final Project: Rojark (Yuli,Tisya and Gerald)

April 20, 2017 Amelia Yuliana Leave a comment

How did we arrive to the topic of Identity?

The three of us decided to look back to our past projects and we all agreed that the alter ego one was the most meaningful one. So for Tisya’s case, she did the identity of Dory and the idea of getting lost in life and finding one’s self. As for Gerald, he did on the concept of duality in personalities and space relation to the human psyche and characteristics. As for myself Amelia, I did on Margo and the idea of being okay to get lost to discover oneself ultimately.

In conclusion, the similarity in all our projects dealt with the sense of an identity being lost. However that was still very widespread, so we decided to focus on on a smaller issue, and that being the local Singapore identity gradually being lost as modernisation comes into place.

Objective

Rojark revolves around the identity of Singapore – objects, people and places which are slowly vanishing or have vanished in our journey through development and modernization. It suggests this identity as something that is visibly tangible, but yet intangible, and is a representation of this part of our Singapore as something that future generations might not be able to identify with. This installation is a demonstration of a haphazard and futile attempt at the preservation of this identity, upon the realisation that it might be too late.

Purpose

_ hopes to evoke a sense of nostalgia and provoke a thought of our responsibility in the preservation of the Singapore identity through objects, people and places. We take for granted the uniquely Singapore factors that still exist around us now, which we might never get to see again as the country moves forward with the world. As our country develops, we have to make way for the future and abandon what no longer seems to fit in our context. A cultural heritage that is conserved and preserved is the country’s reflection on itself will guide the future generations in recognising our roots. This installation is much more than just preserving the physical aspect, but it also serves as an important reminder that we have to retain the inherent spirit and original ambience of these factors that make up our Singapore identity.

Concept

Jars will be used to emulate the preservation method similar to specimen collection or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) style of preserving herbs or medicine. This gives both morbid and scientific enquiry sense of approach, on top of the emotive aspect, when viewing the installation.

INITIAL: We wanted to put actual objects into the preservation jars and experiment with liquid of different translucency and viscosity to give it a more faded facade. However we would face issues of finding the objects because of its rarity and size.

REVISED METHOD: Instead of actual objects, we will use a video projection against a frosted glass surface while trying to retain the liquid idea. It translates the idea of the object existing in an intangible form, like that of a memory, and reinforces the ominous foreshadowing of preservation of culture. It emphasizes on the idea of the object existing only as a memory once it disappears.

First Round Of Testing

So from our first round of testing, we borrowed a projector and tried playing around with trying to project a video on a jar since that was one aspect of our concept. We also experimented with whether trying to project it from the front or from the back would be better and eventually settled for the front.

Second Round Of Testing

Playing with different mediums eg. paper and water

Trying to get the setup and placement right

Experimenting different positions and mediums

So from our second round of testing, we experimented with many different various ways and mediums. On top of that, since the TCM style of preservation had liquid inside, we also tried to play around to include it in. After few testings it was decided that water would make the image less clear so we decided to do without it. As you can see from the video, when water is added, it makes the projection inside less visible.

Almost there! Coming close with the final placement of the jars

We also experimented with various jars we collected. We decided to collate jars instead of buying them all in a single specific style as we figured it would fit to our haphazard concept better. We tried to keep the style of the jars as cohesive as possible and tried to project both still images and videos and they both seem to turn out fine. We found out that the best way was actually to sand the glass jars on the inside without water. We then settled on placing them in the cupboard in two rows, stacking on top one another.

We also tried rotoscoping (one new skill acquired!) So from the rotoscoping it became evident that sizing mattered so we tried to do various sizes to see which fits better.

Final Round Of Testing

So for our final round of testing, we curated all our different objects, people and places and started piecing them together in after effects. We modified the number of projections in the end with it being 10 instead. How we did it was that one person was in charge of taking note of the projection mistakes and telling where and how much to shift the projection, while the other person was doing it on aftereffects. We also played around with the arrangement of the jars making sure it wasn’t visually heavy and was well balanced. Instead of placing all the jars in portrait format, we played around and decided to leave one or two tilted or landscape. We also placed broken shards of glass around the sides as a concept of some objects can no longer be contained and has vanished forever.

Soundscape

We also completely forgot about the soundscape but decided in the end it would be better if we added in sound of snippets of iconic speeches and songs that brings about the identity of Singapore better. We also curated it in a very haphazard and static kind of nostalgic feeling.

Final Projection

And here is one with reaction from our classmates!

Overall the audience felt very pitiful and sad upon watching our installation as they felt like it was such a waste that some of these items are no longer here in Singapore and that our generation was sort of lucky enough to embrace and experience all these objects, people and places.

Despite such feelings, there were those that felt that there was a sense of happiness in it too, after being reminded about the memories they have attached with these objects, people and places. There were a lot of happy reactions when snippets of their favourite tv show songs played. There was also a feedback how this entire experience felt like a community of people watching tv together on a small screen.

An interesting feedback was how these jars were very curated to a certain generation in Singapore. Given another generation if we were to say our parents or grandparents, it would in a sense be a whole new set of jars. Overall the new skills that we learnt such as rotoscoping, projection mapping and also even the conceptualising of our project were very benefitting and such a fun project to do!

Thank you for viewing!

My Work, Process, Project, Research

4D II Project 3: Research on art installation of the late 20th and 21st century

March 28, 2017 Amelia Yuliana Leave a comment

Moving on into our final project, we were told that we could make reference to either one of our previous projects that we felt we liked and to me, it was the alter ego. I realised that I’m more into towards the sense of discovery of one’s self and decided I would focus my research for the next project a bit more into that genre.

Everyware –

Cloud Pink is an interactive installation by Everyware. Everyware is a creative computing group by Hyunwoo Bang and Yunsil Heo. The duo mainly do works that appeal to the human action, user interface and speech. Their works always consist of something that appears merely normal on the surface such as a projection or sand, however invites the user to come into contact with it without providing any specific details. Upon interacting with the installation it gives them a sense of discovery of what is possible.

I feel like their installation always taps into your inner child like behaviour towards nostalgic and dreams, such as cloud pink. The feeling of stretching out as the child and wanting to reach into another world that is represented by the clouds. These of fabric as opposed to just a flat wall to interact with also puts into place everything nicely. Their installations may be simple with only a purpose but it always has that sense of play and discovery about one’s self.

Honey Leong & Prue Stent –

Moulding is a performance art piece by the duo Honey Leong and Prue Stent. Throughout this series, they deal with how the fluidity of materials interact with one’s body in the landscape. Generated spontaneously the wrapped bodies play with the idea of classical human forms and statues, making them dynamic, transient and ambiguous. The use of shrouds generates a sense of playfulness and freedom that comes with anonymity and acts as an expansive and weightless extension of the body. However embedded within their otherworldly beauty is also a sense of suffocation, restriction and alienation.

Majority of their works play with the discovery of the human body against various landscapes and material and though it may be a bit too gritty for some users due to the rawness of the human body, as for me, I feel that using the body as a medium to explore the perverse curiosity to interact with the allure of materials and objects. Their results are often unexpected and playful. It makes me question in what other ways can the human body be discovered within a constricted space, time and body.

Peter Campus –

Three Transitions is a video art created by the famous Peter Campus. The video consists of three short exercises or “transitions” in which he employs different visual and spatial effects. Throughout the video, he himself displaces and superimposes takes of his own body, which he makes interact with each other using chromo-key techniques. He deals with a lot of self-transformation and the body identity in his works while using a lot of studio camera work and video technology.

I like the idea of how he uses his own body as a paradoxical space and as a medium of self discovery though different reflections or mediums. I think it would be interesting to see how one’s self can be displaced in various ways in different spaces and the effect it will take on for the user interacting with it.

Process, Project, Research

4D II PROJECT 2 – SOUNDSCAPE

March 15, 2017 Amelia Yuliana Leave a comment

Being A Lifesaver (please use headphones)

Artist Statement

Immediately upon hearing how interesting it was to do a sonic portrait someone, I immediately thought of my very close friends that works as a paramedic. I have always been fascinated with the different types of cases she always told me whenever I asked about her job and they never fail to surprise me. She alway claim to have “seen it all” or “the worst possible” so for this project I thought I would make the listening feel what it feels like to be here. The ambulance siren is something very familiar to us all, however there are certain sounds in the soundscape that may seem bit odd, however has a very specific meaning. That if only you are experienced in the field, would know what type of case the paramedic is handling.

Research and Concept Development

So it was very exciting to start researching on the different sounds. AND as it turns out there is a specific signal/coding that they will play to alert the alpha/ambulance that they have been assigned to handle a case immediately. The coding here is the original sound recoding from the fireboats that I was lucky enough to have my firefighter friend record for me! I have never heard this before so it was very interesting.

So upon planning out the sequence of the sounds, I decided I would give the listener a little tidbit starting of the victim so they would have a head guess what the victim did. I then decided to put a short pause before transitioning to the paramedic portion.

Upon interviewing my friend, it seems that there is a lot of talking that goes on while they are on the way to the scene of the patient, however words would give way what happened to the victim so I decided to take it out and then just leave in as much sound effects as possible.

It was so fun because of the naturally chaotic scene, to play around with the left and right panning of the soundscape! So played around and decided to edit a lot into the panning to make the listener feel more affected 🙂

My Work, Project

4D II Project One – Alter Ego

February 8, 2017 Amelia Yuliana Leave a comment

Video Link! – https://vimeo.com/203124561

Story line:

The video revolves around the many different aspects of one being lost and trying to find one’s self. Often in this modern world we subconsciously are dictated by who we are by the number of likes on Instagram and who are really our ‘friends’ are on Facebook. Constant planning for our future creates the illusion that we got out lives together. But if we really get all that we plan for, will then will we be happy? I don’t think so. Thus we are so afraid to get lost in the unknown that we forget to embrace that it is part of the journey to find ourselves. We keep seeing flights deals and wishing to be away from ‘here’, but so often afraid to just drop everything that we got to pursue a better understanding of our self. The thought of being by oneself scares us in this big world, but we should see it as so many amazing big chances out there for us to make mistakes, get lost, learn from new people and gain an experience that school or even the highest paying job in the world could never teach us.

Concept, Research, Film/Artist Reference and Challenges:

I researched on some of Margo’s popular quotes from the Paper towns movie and one quote that got to me and defined what character she had that I could relate was when she said “you have to get lost before you find yourself”. Margo had the character where she was someone that everyone knew; a pretty and popular and sociable girl. Something that most of us are accustomed with, just going about as what everyone saw us as. But she then realizes that this was not her, and that these people or places were merely ‘paper’ or fake. So she decides she needs to go away to find herself. I also read up on a few thought catalog articles that is famous for articles with titles such as ”sometimes losing yourself is the only way to fin yourself.” Upon researching more about Paper town on pinterest I realized that there were many objects that associated with the movie. That sparked my concept of using purely objects to depict and tell the story line. I researched on youtube several flat lay videos and what was required for flat lay. One of the many difficulties and restrictions that I had to face was that there were no humans and everything has to be clean from the background to even the objects. It was difficult trying to portray something philosophical and tangible such as feeling lost in a mere number of split seconds and trying to get the message to the viewer just like that. I had to narrow down the number of individual ideas I had for snippets of the video to see which best fits and told my concept clearly.

Thought Catalog Articles:

Feedbacks:

● good approach to a typical kind of subject

● take note of voice recording, might be tok near the mouthpiece

What learnt:

● learning to shoot in flatlay for the very first time!

● a small but nifty thing where youcan import and drag a video without fhe audio into premier pro (yes im not aware)

● how a simple motion or action (like befriending someone on facebook) can be shown in different way but which way is the best to give more ompfh!