INT 1 – Process 2

For my initial inspiration, check out the first process post!

Previously, I started off brainstorming some ideas. 
I decided that I wanted to create this modular net of sleeping pods or hammocks which provides space for people to spend some alone time in. People are constantly working and have less and less time for themselves, and I personally feel that sometimes I would love to get a chance to relax in a space by myself.

It would be nice to have a personal-sized hammock where there are speakers that people can plug into, playing their own songs. I would also provide a notebook where people can write about anything they want. Write about their day, their thoughts, or a poem, even. 

I wanted to crochet the hammock. Due to the material cost, I thought that maybe I can source for old clothes that I can cut into strips and use as yarn. This led to developing the idea from the significance of these old clothes. As I was thinking, it is as if I am weaving memories. 

This led to me thinking, what if I create a space for people to think about their memories? Memories make us who we are today, I feel. Since I wanted a modular design which expands into a network of pods, I decided to focus on constructing one pod as a prototype. I then decided that the inner layer would be made out of white crocheted yarn while the outer layer could be covered in the strips of fabric from old clothes. This represents the mental space (internal), and the various experiences that make us (external). 

I thought that this space would be perfect – with the opening over on the other side (yellow), facing the window, an enclosed space is created in the midst of a normal setting. The hammock (red) would be covered in strips of cut fabric (purple) from the donations. With this, I made 2 prototypes of how it was possible to create the support. The first is if there was a wire netting support that kind of acts like a swing, and the other is a hoop-based hammock.

(pic)

(pic)

I decided that just crochet would be strong enough as long as I distribute the weight properly.

I went back to Jakarta during recess week and during the week, I held a donation drive asking people for their used clothes. Since I have a tuition centre back at my house, it was relatively easy to get people to donate their clothes. I also had a relative who sent us quite a lot of their old clothes. Since I had a baggage limit, I couldn’t bring everything over, but the rest of the clothes should be donated accordingly. 

Along with the donation drive, I asked the people to include a memory that is associated with the clothing that they donated. I just thought that maybe this could develop into something more. 

Here are some of the messages with the translation.

Cherise’s baby clothes. They were from a relative.

I used to go out in these a lot – I loved wearing these everywhere because it was in season.

This was bought in Mangga Dua (a shopping centre). It was on sale.

This skirt is so well worn it has a hole in it. It was first used on my birthday.

From these, I recorded the translated memories with my own voice. This was a possible soundtrack, however I decided to not use it because it was a little weird and I felt it hindered the audience from thinking of their own memories. Moreover, I wanted the audience to think of memories that are not only associated with the clothes.

I also started crocheting the hammock base. I knew that it would take some time, but I felt that crochet was the apt method because the yarn used is continuous and this acts also as a metaphor of time, continuously winding, adding more and more as more yarn is used.

I was making good progress, however I found out that I did not have permission to use the space under the stairs as it was a fire hazard. I needed some form of support for the hammock and I could not find any other suitable space. 

I paused awhile and thought about it. I realised that the hammock was just a point of interest, and that I could still deliver my message about memories even without the hammock. Hence, I explored other ways to create the space. I decided to create a nest of pillows on the floor instead, covered by a crib netting. With this I proceeded to buy materials and crafted the outside netting.

  

I bought some pillows and started cutting the pieces of clothes. While tying the strips to the outer netting, it came to me that it would be a stronger message if the installation started out completely white, and as the audience come and go, they each tie a piece of fabric, therefore building the installation. This could act as a metaphor of the human mind, and the audience themselves would act as the memory/experience. From a baby, a blank slate, humans go through experiences and make memories, and each is unique, and this is what makes them who they are today. 

With this clearer message in mind, all that is left is assembly! It was too late to take off the strips of fabric that I already tied to the outer netting if I wanted a pure white base at the start, so I left them as an example for people to tie their strips of fabric on. 

For the final product look, check out this post!

INT 1 – Process 1

30 August 2017

Today we had a presentation on what our proposed project would be. I collated a few artworks that inspired me through either their looks or their concept.

First of all, I like the idea of having a space within a space. Either transform a space or create an environment where people can do something. I like big scale works that I can gape at, that I can explore like a child playing in a playground. The idea of giving new meaning to an existing space intrigues me as this is exactly how memories work. We give our own context to a space, we attach a particular memory to a particular setting.

As a sentimental person, the way we spend time in a particular place sometimes makes me think of its significance. Time ticks away and we can never bring it back. And of course I like to play too. The inner child in me is attracted to these playground-like spaces.

I also really like when I can interact with lights or music, and I found this artwalk interesting because they remind me of the lalang fields back home in Jakarta. There used to be wide patches of lalang fields near my school and I would walk amongst them, with the wind blowing and I’d twirl around or run across the field with my friends, take photos.

I thought that it would be cool if I could recreate the lalang field except that when a hand is run through it, a recording of the winds of the lalang field in my hometown would play. I am going back this recess week and I could go to record the sound of the winds there. They could also light up accordingly. However I thought that this might be a little too ambitious as I’ve just only learnt programming. Moreover, I wouldn’t say that this is too significant of a memory for me to base an entire artwork out of.

So then I tried listing out some things that I like or are important to me.

This list is not fully representative of topics that matter to me, but these are just some things I had in mind. I decided that for this project, I would like to expand on my project from my Foundation 3D class. Based on a Kandinsky painting, I created this theoretical playspace equipped with napping pods. In this world where people are constantly working and/or studying, with the fast pace of life and high level of stress, sometimes I find that all I want to do is escape for a while and take a nap. This is why I thought that it would be nice to have this multi-level structure with slides and different sizes of napping pods. 

I’m not yet sure what kind of space I would like to create, but I would really love to create maybe a large crocheted web across a room with pods where people can sleep in or rest in. Of course I would only be making a prototype of sorts, since there will probably be not enough time to fully realise the whole thing. 

I am looking to crochet since I have considerable experience crocheting and the nature of crocheting is quite interesting. It takes up a lot of time, but it is very easy to manipulate to our liking.

 

I’ll explore my idea more and we’ll see where it takes us!

For the next process post, click here!

For the final product, click here!