Category: DM3013-INTERACTIVE SPACES (TUT)

interactive spaces: intrusive spaces // digital project [idea, process and final]

November 20, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Idea

I think I have a lot of explaining to do, considering how different my project has become since the mid-term analogue version of it.

After many consults with the two professors, I changed my idea completely. I was told to look back at my concept: the idea of having a personal space intruded by someone else, some other thing. The being becoming uncomfortable because of this intrusion. Then I was told to go back and think about it.

I thought a lot about it. I came up with several observations, over the one week I was told to do so. Here were some of my observations, and ideations.

times when my/someone’s personal, private space has been invaded/compromised

  1. mother complained about having a gym-mate that could not stop asking about invasive questions
    1. “What’s your weight? What’s your husband doing?”
  2. having negative thought processes most times of the day
    1. voices/thoughts that prevent productivity/sleep
  3. sleep paralysis
    1. dark shadows, being unable to move but they get closer
  4. sitting on the bus and having someone jab their shoulder/butt into your space
  5. your friend who wants to look at your phone/laptop and asks what you’re doing

potential ideas:

  1. some voice that keeps asking very personal questions. maybe starts to question existence??
    1. was inspired by the one project with the two heads that talk to each other
    2. alternatively, a voice that talks about potential harm coming to participant’s way → still relatively intrusive and something I experience to a milder degree (e.g. people are out to hurt you, kill you, computers have minds of their own etc.)
    3. Initial idea of how it can be implemented:
      1. Have to cover ears so the voice “speaks to you clearly”
      2. OR have them always heard, kind of like angel and devil in most stereotypes
    4. Or have a “being” that asks about your day in the most intrusive ways
      1. Kind of like a pet but not really
  2. creating a dark space similar to a tent maybe, and projecting human-like shadows (to mimic sleep paralysis)
    1. participant “sleeps” in tent, and there are projections of things moving towards you during every flash of light??
    2. if they move it moves faster?? idk
  3. the annoying kid that keeps getting into your space:
    1. constantly poking shoulder, voice saying “hey, hey, hey”

As you can see, I was very lost. I had a lot to think about, and there was so many things I could have done. But I was very lost. I did not know what to do at all. But one thing that I felt most deeply for was having intrusive thoughts. I mean, I think about it all the time, because they are my thoughts. I cannot get rid of them. Intrusive thoughts ruin people and they’re the most uncomfortable thing to have on your very being, unless there’s some third-party forces/the supernatural we’re dealing with here. I thought it was a pretty good start.

So I decided to work on that. And at first I was like, oh darn, do I have to try to squeeze in months of learning processing and arduino into like three weeks? But I realise I could do things as long as they are digital. And Prof Kristy reminded me about Janet Cardiff’s audio walks.

So I wanted to do a project where I would create a video tour within ADM, with a voiceover that asked questions that were more and more uncomfortable.

Process

My to-do list:

  • Schedule each week’s progress
  • Route
  • Actors
  • Narration
  • Storyboards

Things I considered:

Route: Create a route around ADM that the person will have to walk to. Do they walk into rooms? Do they walk up and down stairs?

consider that a lot of places might not be accessible to people (if they have to tap card), wait for things to happen etc. → so lifts and rooms are a bit harder

start → sunken plaza (near staircase to canteen 2) → basement → walk down the corridor → vending machines → walk up the stairs to the lounge → lounge → walk to the lobby and have a moment there → walk upstairs via stairs → stay at the bridge to the other classrooms → go down the corridor to the handicap toilet → have a seat → leave → back past the bridge to the 3rd level, and then to the fourth

[after 29/10 check] too long, it took 11minutes just to reach 3rd floor, and even then I was already rushing. Might be too long an experience/too rushed

Decided to stay within basement and level 1!!

START → sunken plaza (Maybe stay longer) → indoor basement, corridor → vending machines → walk up Stairs→ lounge → down stairs→ left past the doors to sunken plaza → END

Actors: Think about how actors will interact with the video? Are they going to be present during the actual day of interaction when participants move around?

Decided to not use actors because everyone is busy. ):

Narration: what kind of poetic narrative and thoughts should go into this? How much intrusion is there? theme: your inner voice who speaks to you, narrates a situation

Decided to use own voice.

NARRATIVE

thing to take note: make sure there are questions that get increasingly more uncomfortable in nature

Questions I can ask:

  • Are you from this school? How old are you?
  • Why are you here?
  • Why did you decide to come here? (Before name question cuz its weird right)
  • What’s your name? Where’s your name from?
  • Let’s be closer friends. Do you have many friends?
  • Did you choose to have friends?
  • How are you feeling today?
  • Are you an indoors or outdoors person?
  • What are you? Are you single?
  • What do you like about yourself/what do you not like about yourself?
  • Isn’t there something better you could be doing?
  • What’s the worst thing you have ever thought of doing to someone?
  • Ever thought of how babies are so fragile, and that if you wanted to, you could break them?
  • Have you ever wanted to leave your loved ones?
  • If the world ended what would your last words be?
  • Would you rather live your life as if there was no god and find out that there is, or live as if there is a god and it turns out there isn’t?
  • When you think of yourself, do you imagine that you are your body, or that you’re in your body?
  • In the light of eternity, how significant is this present moment?
  • If life is so hard, what are you comparing it to?
  • Are you happy?
  • Would your life have been different if ___

FINAL SCRIPT

Hello.

-turn on screen-

You’re new to me.

We seem to exist in the same universe, but unlike you, I am a mere whisper.

Do you see what I see? Think of me as your thoughts. I am you and we share the same view. Look up like how I do.

A beautiful place, isn’t it. I sometimes forget that it is a school.

Are you from this school? How old are you?
I’m interested to know more about you. Why don’t we take this time to be closer? While I am connected to you, and you, to me.

Let’s take a walk, shall we? Follow where I go.

How are you feeling today?

Stop.
Look down.

The water is still. There are usually dead insects and birds in here. I have heard of it happening, seen of it happening right in front of my eyes. Have you? Seen the birds crash into the windows, and drop down to their deaths?

Lucky creatures. Captured by the beauty in glass and to experience death so easily after.

To fly in circles, momentarily lost in spiralling doom before they either live or die. Have you ever felt that?

Turn to your right. Let us go indoors.

[sunken plaza → basement indoors]

Are you an indoors or outdoors person?

Turn to your left and walk ahead to the lockers.

Now it looks like a school, doesn’t it? I think the lockers help.

A place of learning. A place to make friends.

Don’t mind the people. I am here.

I hope you are not in a rush to end this conversation. You have me.

Do you have many friends?

Fate has much to show us. I don’t think fate has ever been unkind. It has been giving, and giving, and sometimes we decide we have had enough of fate. We decide to take matters into our own hands.

Like a vending machine we have the choice to pick.

You see the elevators. Turn right and face the machines like I do.

Stop.

[corridor → vending machine]

…..

You get so many choices. Every action you take is a new chance at fate.

Drinks. Snacks. Sandwiches. A big variety.

Do you get to pick favourites? I like to stick to the same snack when I have to choose.

You pick a button, and it gives you what you asked for. The choice is yours.

It’s so easy, isn’t it?

But what if fate doesn’t give?

What if you don’t have the chance to encounter fate?

How pathetic.

Doesn’t that make your life meaningless?

That’s funny to think about, don’t you think?
Do you have a reason to be here?

What are you?

….

Let us walk past the elevator.

To your right. Walk forward.

Turn left.

Big benches. Bigger tables. They’re filled with people. None of them are your friends.

Weird looks. Life is awful. You want to die.

…

Turn left. There are stairs. Go up.

….

Effort to keep up with the times. Just like climbing the stairs.

Each step feels heavier than the other. Effort to maintain some semblance of a social life. Missing a step means risk of losing it all, tumbling down.

…

Ever thought about disappearing for a day?

Ever thought about having a kiss with death?

Or maybe…

Something more intimate?

….

“Kill me”

Such a common phrase here. You hear this phrase way too often, say this phrase way too often. It comes out like vomit, vile and useless, but it makes you feel at least 3 percent better.

Why not try saying it?

Kill me.

Does it take away the weight of climbing?

Well, whatever the result was, we’re at a new place.

A place for lounging. Where people sit and relax with their friends.

A place you would not have seen if you died.

Shuffle over to the left. Stop.

…

[lounge]

What do you not like about yourself? Tell me.

Do you ever feel like you have to change those parts of yourself? Get rid of the raw, unpolished parts so you could shine better?

Have you ever heard this phrase? Maybe like my voice.

You’re not good enough.

You’re not good enough.

You’re not good at all.

Humans are all social creatures. We can’t avoid that. Being human means wanting others to like you.

Do your friends like you?

How did you meet your closest friends?

Why are you here?

Are you my friend now?

Let us move. Go back down the stairs.

[go down the stairs]

Let’s go outside. To your left.

Are you an outdoors or indoors person?

Turn to your left.

It sounds like rain.

It feels like rain.

Is it raining now? (Jarring rain bg)

No matter. We still have to continue our journey, rain or shine.

We’re back outside. How do you feel now?

Are you happy?

…

I hope you’re not.

You must be wondering, is there an end to this cycle. There is, you can take off these headphones. But what if I’m stuck with you?

I don’t think I know you.

You’re new to me.

-black screen-

Hello.

[Loop]

Final Video

Here’s a video of Prof Kristy experiencing the whole thing.

Personal comments:

It was very cringe-worthy recording myself. I also had problems figuring out what kind of tone I wanted to put into my words. I wasn’t an actor by nature so that was already hard on its own, and to put thought to actual words was even harder, but I think it was a good journey to experience as the creator of this piece of work. There was also a lot more that I could put into it, quality-wise. The pacing was probably a little off, and Biju said my draft recordings were actually better in terms of emotional quality. And I felt that my video quality was probably not the best, even though I did take the video several times in an attempt to better time it, and also better audio but hey, we all start somewhere I guess.

It was nice watching the professors walk around with the phone it was a very different experience watching someone try to embody you. I think it was a very experimental piece for me. While I feel like there’s a lot that I could improve on, and that it was generally, very attached to me as a project, compared to what I did for mid-terms, I feel refreshed knowing that I, probably rather literally, stepped out of my comfort zone.

Now all that is left is for it to survive the end of semester showcase. To be honest, it makes me not want to show my face around school anymore, given how much I put myself into my work, but I hope some people won’t find it cringey.

interactive spaces // digital project – ode to loo

October 15, 2019 / / 0 Comments

After listening to the comments from everyone during mid-terms, I felt like there was a lot I could do to reiterate my original meaning. Here were some suggestions that were given.

  • Having cameras pointed at the individual, have spotlights on them. This is to emphasize on discomfort, where the “attention” is on them. Somewhat comical in nature, and perhaps grandiose to a funny extent.
  • Have the participant’s every move narrated by a voice as they go about their business in the washroom.
  • Have a webcam feed show up both inside and outside the toilet of a particular angle (suggested: feet near the toilet bowl).

Upon consideration, I wondered what other ways I could implement the idea of having the attention on the participant while in the toilet. A friend of mine suggested having the sound of applause when a certain action is done (e.g. the flushing of the toilet) and I thought that was pretty interesting, to have sound used to reflect interactions.

I then thought of: what if someone sat on the toilet, and then fast orchestral music started playing? Something like Flight of the Bumble Bee?

mid-term analogue // reflections

October 8, 2019 / / 0 Comments

During week 8’s mid-term, I presented my idea of different emotions being evoked while being in the toilet. Before getting approval for the space (a handicap toilet on the 2nd level of ADM), I had wanted to do something that made somebody uncomfortable while they were in the toilet. However, given the limitations that I was only allowed to use the toilet for a few hours within the day itself, I was rather restricted with what I could set up, and I was also concerned about the level of hygiene if I had to make people interact with things within the toilet. I decided to make use of the walls instead, since they were probably more acceptable than using the toilet bowl itself, or the floor.

While thinking up of ideas, I thought about using images to create small windows to an “outside world” which might counter how a toilet is used, since most of the time they are meant to be a private space. I also wanted to look into how different imagery could make a person think differently, and evoke different emotions, resulting in various windows on every wall that depicted different scenes, something I’ve learnt from Yi Fu Tuan’s Space and Place, when he talks about direction.

I made a variety of different settings, planned beforehand, and then pasted them across the walls. The next few images will be what the final product looked like.

Comments I have received during the presentation that I took into consideration to improve the next part of the project:

  • There were too many different things going on – so rather than create an experience where each wall evoked an emotion, it just made people confused and overwhelmed instead.
  • To concentrate on one variable of wanting to make someone “uncomfortable” rather than a variety of other emotions.
  • To use fake cameras to instill the sense of vulnerability.
  • To use spotlights and sensors (when someone sits down they activate the lights, think of lights, cameras, action).
  • To have a webcam show feed of part of the toilet, showcased on the outside.
  • To have the participant’s every move narrated.

project 1 // “i can’t possibly s*** here!”

September 17, 2019 / / 0 Comments

For project 1: analogue, I decided to go with my toilet sorter idea. To quickly recap, I wanted to look into the psychology of how someone would pick a toilet cubicle, and the project made people pick dirty toilets as a show of “movement without the body being there”.

I felt that there was more to it than just movement, and that toilet-picking was really something that I find rather amusing, and tried to think about other ways that toilets were good representations of human behaviour.

I found this piece of work done by a Hong Kong artist, showing a similar versus system between Chinese and Hong Kong culture.

Retrieved from https://coconuts.co/hongkong/news/graphics-showing-why-hong-kong-not-china-shared-widely/

As seen above, these are all comparisons between two countries, be it the way they write, behave on public transport, and well, use the toilet. It showed a lot of behavioural aspects between two countries just from simple illustrations, and I wanted to think about how by showing toilets instead, what kind of behaviour would people show and perceive these toilets?

My analogue project will basically look like this:

Two stacks of paper will be printed with different toilets. This will still work similarly to the project I have mentioned previously, where there will be an eventual “winner”. But along with this I have added an additional element.

Participants must do the following:

  1. Tear off the toilet cubicle they prefer.
  2. Flip to the other side where there is a quick survey.
  3. Give the reason for picking that toilet, and to also rate the toilet based on how satisfied they would be with using the toilet.
  4. Drop it into the box provided, so that I can collate the result winner of the day.

This not only gives participants a chance to pick, but also to reason why they picked their option. They also get to rate the toilet that they have picked, based on satisfaction, cleanliness, whatever they wish to rate it on. This is based off how we have little tablets in fancy toilets to rate how the cleanliness is like.

So why rate toilets that are already obviously dirty? While it is probably redundant to ask for a rating from toilets that are probably all inherently dirty, it would be to question the psychology of choice, and also, the paradox of choice.

The paradox of choice talks about having anxiety over too many choices. In fact, if you do research on the psychology of less choices, you get a lot of articles talking about how less is probably more. The reason why choice is always such an important thing, in marketing for example, is that it gives consumers the perceived control that they feel is necessary when making decisions. I thought it was a pretty interesting read into things, given that I was just mostly talking about toilets and their cubicles, but it reads into that as a question to participants: Which toilet would you pick? You only have two choices. But are either of these choices really worth it? Am I, as the person giving you the choice, really giving you a choice between the two? Is there a state of control? Are you really happy picking the toilet you have picked, when evidently, both are dirty? These questions can only really be answered by the individual, and probably based on their level of immersion and comfort.

Critical Vehicles [reflection]

September 14, 2019 / / 1 Comment

Krzysztof Wodiczko talks about his art in context of their background. A lot of the time his critical vehicles were mostly working in context with the environment that he has put himself in.  “Each of them was specifically developed to operate on a particular, often shaky, psycho-social terrain.” He talks about his works like a medium, a person or a thing that carried things, displayed or transported vital ingredients and agents of the society he has perceived it as, and to represent “a turning point in collective or singular consciousness.”

One can certainly tell that Wodiczko had a very skewered perspective on how the world worked, or at least, he was cynical and doubtful a lot of the times about politics of a country. It helped shaped his work, considering how he talks about how much he has moved around from place to place, and how each work would only work in where it came from, as an experience Wodiczko has shaped from being that space. He talks about being a nomad, and how sometimes nomads were probably more aware of the terrain they have decided to come into, than the locals of the land. Which was what a passing vehicle would really do.

He also pokes at art without its substantial value. In a sense, I felt really called out. “Life must not be a refuge from full ethical responsibility nor indulgence in the pseudo-existentialism of one’s own depoliticization in an attempt to preserve one’s dignity and keep one’s hands clean”. I understand this, to live life carelessly without caring about the nature and state of the place one was in, I assume, was naive. He talks about the delusion of freedom quite a bit, and things like brainwashing; you could really tell that he was a huge fan of politics, and to call out democracy for all it has truly done besides what it is seen from the surface.

“Democracy is ill, silent suffering, and we must heal it, make it whole, of the wounds from hundreds of years of forced muteness and invisibility imposed on so many of its subjects.” He then states he wanted to heal the numbness that threatens the health of democratic process by pinching and disrupting it, waking it up and inserting the voice, experiences and presence of those others who have been silenced, alienated and marginalized. He was taking space, and giving you a new perspective. This then brings back the previous week’s reading about Relational Architecture. To be able to take a space and put a new perspective on things is something that Lozeno-Hemmer does. To take a space and give new meaning, seems to be something that Wodiczko wants to do. He takes message into the ideal of a man-made object, and then questions it.

Illuminating Embodiment, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Relational Architectures [reflection]

September 14, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Upon having to reflect on reading after reading, I have started to see the relation to some of keywords and topics. In this reading, there was talk about architecture being built for, and experienced by bodies, and how Lozano-Hemmer’s work challenges the supposition that buildings control bodies. It was similar to the reading Space and Place, which talked about space being relevant to the body, and how a space is kind of configured to work certain ways, and to have certain affordances. It was also similar to how Peter Zumthor’s Atmospheres were a lot about feelings and emotions, aside from the physical complexities that came with architecture.

Then there was the addition of technology, in addition to the way one could perceive architectures and spaces among bodies. “Bodies, buildings, cities and technologies are conceptually and functionally interconnected.” I felt like it was an important quote that talks about any sort of space to be honest, given the day and age we were in. I would have said “interactive, or not” but really, most spaces were already supposed to be interactive in being able to afford different things. To be in a space is to interact with it, but to create interactivity through artistic forms is something that Lozano-Hemmer talks about.

“Relational architecture”. Lozano-Hemmer talks about wanting to transform the dominant narratives of a specific building or urban setting, by “superimposing audiovisual elements to affect it, effect it and recontextualise it”. From my understanding, it’s to make a place believable. A space does not have to be physical walls and ceilings, but virtually made as well. Through the use of technology, a space can be virtually created, and in a sense, “simulated”. But as I read on, Lozano-Hemmer talks about not liking life to be reduced to a simulation, and in fact, creates anti-monuments for dissimulation. So to be honest, I don’t really get it. Can we not create a simulated space to create a new experience? Or was he talking about creating these experiences by perceiving them differently?

Moving on, the article goes on to talk about Lozano-Hemmer’s Body Movies: Relational Architecture 6 (2001), which makes use of shadows and public interaction. There were numerous discoveries made upon moving from location to location. Guesses were made based on location culture, but were often wrong. Where people were expected to be more rigid and strict, they started to play with their shadows. There was so much to play around with the interactivity of shadows, and how humans would think of their bodies as stable entities. This again brings back the concept of how bodies were interrelated with its surroundings and technologies.

“Interactive digital art requires the bodily participation of the viewer in order to manifest and behave.” Without the body, there is no interactivity, and no ability for response or change. It makes sense, of course, because how else were we supposed to perceive things of a physical space without being there? But of course, the participant must also be willing to play their part, which is a key point in Lozano-Hemmer’s designs of relational architecture. For something in a machine to change and be perceived different it has to be act upon by the human. This is how body, building, and technology has to work together.

Siah Armajani // a reflection

September 10, 2019 / / 1 Comment

Upon entering the exhibition, I was not really expecting what I saw. Was I allowed to touch anything? Why were there pencils sticking out everywhere? Why is everything wood? What is going on? What the heck is a tomb shaped like that? This is a reading room? Can I read these books here?

There were so many questions, but if I had to put a thought as my first impression, was that it mostly looked like a kampung. The simple shapes, the wood, the specific green that screamed old. I would have thought that these were all pieces meant to be outside, but it was mentioned to be for a reading room. Again, unsure if we could go into these spaces, these tree house looking boxes, and was itching to do so just because lack of childhood, until they told us we could.

Aside from the nostalgia and outdoorsy-ness however, it didn’t make sense that they were for the outdoors. Realised the ceiling was full of holes, so it wouldn’t work as a shelter for the poor soul caught in the rain, or even shade away from the sun.

It was really from being in the spaces, sitting on those chairs did I really start understanding how they worked. The tour helped me understand it better as well. A space that was inviting, but also uncomfortably so. To read for a long period of time is a commitment, and one could not be too comfortable when reading. Everything felt like a sharp edge, you had chairs that could only turn 90 degrees and not diagonally to the tables, hard wooden backings, dark green and brown surfaces, weirdly shaped book holders, and yet, they felt ideal as spaces for reading. If I was made to read I would have gotten comfortable on my bed, and promptly fallen asleep, achieving nothing. This on the other hand, was a whole system of rules and directions, and in a sense, it gave me motivation to read, to act upon these rules and to achieve what was asked: reading.

The longer I was in this space, the better I understood it, and the more at ease I felt about it. Reading Siah Armajani’s manifesto helped me understand his thoughts for creating these spaces as well. For example, he talks about “public sculpture as not a artistic creation alone, but rather social and cultural productions based upon concrete needs.” He fulfills this purpose with the reading room, with how it is styled with basic material that indicates his culture, and directed in ways that socially affect people.

On the other hand, I was rather intrigued by Armajani’s video works. The fact that they were created years ago with his basically-oversized calculator, was very impressive. Simple with their messages, some of them created optical illusions, and I was really impressed by Line.

In conclusion, while I’m no expert in contemporary art, and really didn’t take away anything from his actual works, I did learn a few things from his manifesto, simple rules to think about when creating spaces. I think his art reflected what he felt of spaces, and I think it’s memorable to have his own rules reflected onto his art.

 

2 ideas // interactive spaces

September 8, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Toilet Sorter

When given the brief, I was mostly unsure about how I could show any sort of movement and at the same time, provide a sense of interaction between audience and art piece. I spent a lot of time moving around spaces while thinking about this, tracing my own steps and just by being in spaces. One of the spaces that I was actively thinking in most of the time was probably the toilet.

As someone with a terrible stomach, I spend a lot of time sitting in a cubicle, and it could be what is often known as the second home. You have a toilet at home, you have a toilet outside, same thing.

But it is not a thought often shared by everyone, and even I, as a person who frequents toilets, have preferences. I would call myself a toilet connoisseur if there were such a thing. Mostly because I enthuse about toilet paper textures, lighting, space, cleanliness, TP top up frequencies, you name it. I even have favourite cubicles within spaces I frequent and no, I’m not sharing it. One of the most important aspects to a Good Toilet is probably cleanliness, out of the many other factors. It is observed that a dirtier cubicle would not be used. I would say there is even a whole psychology to it that I’m not too fond of going through in detail. But here’s the gist of it:

You find three cubicles: one with a wet floor, one with no TP, and one with tissue not flushed, but the seat is obviously way cleaner than the other two. What do you do? What I’d normally witness is someone grabbing their own TP from any other place to use the one with no TP, followed by someone using the wet floor cubicle and then nobody enters the remaining one, not even to try to see if flushing works. It usually means someone has been there, but probably not many. See? You can tell!

So back to my 1st idea: creating a series of used toilet cubicles for people to choose. Think of it as a statistics thing, a psychological test if you might. It will basically work like a sorter, which is basically a popular online “game” where one decides on their favourite objects/characters (mostly of TV shows and games). For example:

Retrieved from https://fesorter.tumblr.com/. Also I am sorry for anime men.

The participant picks between two different objects in a “battle”, and the system sorts it all out until there is a final winner.

For my idea, I wish to create a screen, preferably big and extremely daunting, with two sides similar to what is seen above (just without a tie or undo choice). These two sides will showcase images of toilets with Threatening Auras, so for example, we’ll have 2 images of 2 different toilet cubicles, and participants have to decide what sort of space they will prefer to do their business in.

images are taken from twitter @scarytoilet (Toilets With Threatening Auras)

Assuming this is placed near a toilet, where most people only visit once, they walk towards the washroom, and then leave to go about their day. They will see this screen, decide on a toilet by stepping on a spot for longer than 5 seconds and leave.

The chosen toilet will remain, and a new toilet image will appear to be the next contestant. This continues throughout the day, with different participants choosing a preferred toilet. If many people decide to try out the sorter, results will show a winner toilet. That will be the toilet with the most people choosing, or “going to”. In addition, there will be runner-ups, since sorters act as a poll when they attain enough results. Alternatively, the poll does not achieve any sort of result, which shows that nobody stopped by.

This shows the movement of people in two different ways: which types of toilet which will be Most Visited, and whether this toilet sorter is even looked at to begin with. It’s something more provocative in nature, and probably disgusting, but I think it is something we all think about subconsciously. Either that or I think too much about toilet culture, more than the average person (please prove me otherwise).

Call Out Cult (COC)

We live in a generation where the internet is essential to our everyday living, and a lot of our social interaction and news comes from the internet. When I was a kid my parents would always nag about putting myself online, because eventually someone was either going to find out where you live, or dig out your dark secrets and have them thrown out to the rest of the world for them to see. And they were very right because “call out culture” became a huge thing in the 2010s. There is probably a different term for it for similar things that have happened in the past, but it is a common term used now, usually because of social media.

According to Wikipedia, call-out culture “is a form of public shaming that aims to hold individuals and groups accountable by calling attention to behaviour that is perceived to be problematic”, and this is usually on social media. There is also a variant of said term, called “cancel culture”, which is “a form of boycott in which someone who is deemed problematic is ‘cancelled’.” Often times it is the result of naive mistakes, or decade-old tweets. Here’s an example of how exaggerated it can be:

The people who instigate call-outs often “pull out receipts”, mostly consisting of screenshots of problematic content, or links to threads of said problematic content. Sometimes it goes as far as to doxxing (having private information published on the Internet), and often times these people who instigate call-outs believe they did nothing wrong.

So for my second idea, I thought about the idea of “airing dirty laundry”, and was very inspired by art that used clotheslines, such as this series of installations by Kaarina Kaikkonen.

Retrieved from https://mymodernmet.com/kaarina-kaikkonen-clothes-installations/

Retrieved from https://mymodernmet.com/kaarina-kaikkonen-clothes-installations/

To call someone out is to basically air their dirty laundry, to trace out every single footprint they have done to be hung up for all to see. So my idea was to basically have a clothesline with call-out posts put up using pegs. Participants can hang up call-outs to someone they know, it can be as ridiculous as not liking your mother’s cooking, or something serious in the political setting. Everyone’s call-out posts would be placed on the clotheslines, and for anyone to view. Receipts can be written as well, to solidify your statement.

While there is no visible body nor movement in the artwork, it provides a history of call-outs, and these all tend to stay for a long time, and can only be made by humans. I would also think of it as a sort of installation that would make anyone either ridicule how dumb some of these call-outs would be, and question the culture of calling others out for their own selfish desires.

 

Peter Zumthor – Atmospheres [reflection]

September 2, 2019 / / 0 Comments

A lot of what has been mentioned by Zumthor, to me, basically talks about creating a “feeling” through a space, not only to him but also to anyone who passes by. The idea of atmosphere was to provide places of support, a place to live in, similar to that of haven. He constantly talks about how atmosphere can move him, and I agree. Sometimes I walk into a big space, and look up, and in a sense, I feel like I’m transported into a different dimension. He mentions first impressions, to be able to perceive a space immediately, and react to it accordingly depending on what we feel about it, and I feel that this is what most created spaces have to be aware of. Bringing back an older reading (Space and Place by Yi Fu Tian) they talk about spaces like lecture halls, rooms, various spaces having direction, and I feel that it is the same here, things about atmosphere and direction are intertwined together.

Zumthor goes on to talk about things such as body, material, sound, and while they sound technical, they were all essential in creating the experience for anybody who goes in and out of these places. Materials reflect, literally, and they also change how the sound works in the place. Some places are lit well even without electrical lighting, some are dim and gloomy. He talks about buildings which look dull, and in result, makes people either feel dull, or maybe it could potentially be a calming place for someone. It depends on the context. Sound, on the other hand, change in every space too. Sometimes there is a silence so deep you hear a ringing, sometimes places are just inherently noisier or bounced echos easier. It changes how people feel about things. Sound plays an important role in invoking emotion, and a lot in nostalgia. Zumthor mentions his mother’s noises in the kitchen and it making him happy. People can get positively or negatively triggered by different noices. Certain noises are more associated with certain places, be it home, or the outside, or a cathedral.

All in all, I have reflected on how there were so many things to creating a space, besides being able to hold something, or someone, or have it designed in a way that was mostly practical and not affordable to the people who go in it. How someone feels, sees, hears, physically in this space manipulates how they eventually feel about it. Atmosphere is not always consistent, nor is it only emotional, but can be manipulated by how a space is created.