writings

There are 14 posts tagged writings (this is page 2 of 2).

Telegarden // A Change in Perspective

When we hear the word “gardening”, it usually involves physical soil space, a hand trowel, seeds, watering can. What the Telegarden team have created in 1995 has totally changed our perspective of gardening, replacing our hands with cursors and mouse clicks. Each action in the Telegarden, totally controllable at the comfort of your home, through a screen.

This web-interface allows netizens to control a robotic arm to manoeuvre around the soil area of the Telegarden through the lens of a camera attached onto the arms of the robots. Netizens are able to plant seeds, water the plants and observe the growth of the plants.

Below is a brief overview of the entire Telegarden project:-

The Ultimate Contrast

What the entire Telegarden experience gives its users is the stark contrast of speed using the internet and gardening. On the internet, it is almost immediate that your demand is made, merely with a click on the mouse. On retrospect, the act of planting a seed does not guarantee the sprouting of leaves and stem the next moment. It takes real, human time, days, and weeks, even months. You simply cannot rush gardening, not even when it is done online.

“Gardening” Attachment

It is beyond absurd to know that “gardeners” over the internet do get attached to their plants planted in the Telegarden especially when they might never get to see them in real life. As seen in the video attached above, some got a little over-protective when another “gardeners” started planting their seeds near their plants. I would have thought that “gardening” in the Telegarden was merely another form of play and side activity for the netizens.

“Il faut cultiver notre jardin.” Voltaire

We must cultivate our garden.

Telegarden-ing fulfilled the paradox of online gardening created by two different activities – surfing the internet and gardening. One stagnant and idle, another that requires physical strength and patience, this experience is fresh. With the rise of internet users, Telegarden is a subtext for people to not neglect what we used to do without the internet. It is a Third Space for the social interaction of the “gardeners” who go online to check out on the plants at the Telegarden, while “gardening” together on an online platform.

“The Telegarden creates a physical garden as an environment to stage social interaction and community in virtual space. The Telegarden is a metaphor for the care and feeding of the delicate social ecology of the net.” — Randall Packer, San Jose Museum of Art, April 1998.

Almost like a mass gathering of green fingers from all across the world, Telegarden not just created a totally different experience of gardening, but also gave a different outlook on the internet. Like what Randall Packer said, “a metaphor for the care and feeding of the delicate social ecology of the net”.

Additional Readings

The Distant Gardener: What Conversations in the Telegarden Reveal About Human-Telerobotic Interaction

The Telegarden

The Third Space, a technological illusion of real life//Telematic Dreaming

The Third Space, a concept common people might find it hard to digest, but in fact, it has become an integral part of our everyday life in the technologically advanced 21st century. But has it messed up our minds? A technological illusion of real life?

The Third Space as defined by Randall Packer in his article on The Third Space is a space that “represents the fusion of physical (first space) and the remote (second space) into a third space that can be inhabited by remote users simultaneously or asynchronously”.

The Third Space, a virtual yet real realm we often come in and out of has no doubt become part of our everyday life. From a simple phone call to a short text message, the Third Space is activated in almost all parts of our lives. What is almost as startling is the fact that the distinct difference between the real and virtual world is almost blur and grey. The virtual world is part of our real world.

In this particular piece called Telematic dreaming by Paul Sermon, it explores deeper into the idea of the Third Space, stretching the potential experience we can gain from it. Telematic Dreaming is a live telematic video installation that uses a 2MB ISDN telephone line to link two locations. The bed has projected screen that enhances the entire telepresence.

The choice of site for Telematic Dreaming is intriguing for me. The bed is an intimate, private place, yet it is used for the interactive video installation. It is an interesting choice, to take advantage of the nature of the setting, a place to let your guard down to enhance the experience of the video installation. It brings the audience experiencing the entire experience closer and more intimate with the artist, even without physical contact.

This piece eliminates the subconscious existence of the Third Space bringing in reality into the virtual world. The addition to what technology can provide is the perceived haptic engagement. Telematic Dreaming incorporated the illusion of the sense of touch, a step closer to bringing the virtual world into the real world. I quote from the synopsis of Telematic Dreaming

“When the user reaches out with their hand they interact, not in the local space, but in the distant one, and when they cause an effect to another physical body in the distant location it is evidence that is where their consciousness resides.”

In this case, the consciousness of the user is in the Third Space where the projected screen on the bed enables the sight of the happenings of the other person in another location. The combined engagement of the two person concludes that their consciousness are located in the Third Space, a virtual world, in real time. Our fascinating and dare I say almost foolish brain connected everything seen on the projected screen to be perceived as real, as in in real life. Yet, the Third Space is the fundamental of human engagement these days with the ease of technology and the luxury of mobile phone devices. The Third Space, a virtual place we come in and out of, a place we interact with our loved ones, a place we communicate when all else fails.

Additional Input

A piece I thought is worth mentioning is an episode on Black Mirror called Be Right Back, that uses artificial intelligence to communicate to the deceased using information of them online to imitate their style of communication.

Below is a trailer of Be Right Back:-

This shows the potential of the Third Space interaction and how much it can impact us physically, emotionally and mentally. The episode goes about showing how Martha, the widow, goes about her life trying to accept the fact that her husband is dead by constantly communicating with “him” through phone calls and text messages. What stretches the limit was the possibility of a silicon made “human” of her husband to replace his physical being.

The virtual world has become such an important part of our life. It aids human communication and interaction. Technology has eased our form of communication, could it also mess up our minds?

Additional Readings

Telematic Dreaming – Synopsis

Defining Virtual Reality: Dimensions Determining Telepresence

Telematic Dreaming, University of Brighton

Open Source promotes DIWO (Do It With Others)

Summary of the readings

Open Source is a platform where the community can access to shared information, utilizing the human capital to a greater extent. Stemming from the hacker culture, Open Source, liberated the otherwise restricting and inflexible means of creative production, promoting DIWO (Do It With Others).

Open Source allow for virtual sharing of content using the World Wide Web on cyberspace. This has largely shrunk the “distance” between artists and viewers of art. Responding against proprietary models, Open Source, has made creative productions a common good, available to the mass without monetary profits. In the case of Open Source softwares like Linux, the accessibility to the source code can allow for alterations by innovative programmers to execute a modified programme. As such, the concept of Open Source has turned the World Wide Web into a platform for synergistic interactions of the mass, updating or enhancing current information.

Before the liberty for synergistic interactions, restrictions were imposed, putting a price tag to the accessibility to datas. That led to a rise of hackers. Richard Stallman, a researcher of MIT AI Lab and the father of the idea of Open Source, pushed for the idealization of the concept. As a hacker, he provided free UNIX (operating system) under the GNU project as he thought the proprietary model was discouraged openness and the exchange of ideas. Linux and GNU are some prominent examples of liberal softwares with Open Source development in the 90s. A basic license called the General Public License (GPL) was implemented, allowing for modification and distribution of softwares. Owing to Stallman’s leadership in the Open Source field, the Open Source culture still continues today, benefitting billions.

A more detailed and concise history of Open Source can be found in the infographic below:-

taken from: http://www.mdgadvertising.com/blog/the-history-of-open-source-software-infographic/

The decline of traditional proprietary practices has allowed for a more collaborative art scene, highlighting Yochai Benkler’s idea of “peer production”. In fact, the essence of Open Source requires for collaboration and inputs from the masses, otherwise the concept is considered futile. The Open Source culture make ideas and information as readily accessible as possible, leading to more gain than loss to the community. Traditional proprietary practices is a more isolated and individualized way of creative production, more contained within an atelier. Per contra, Open Source creates a mean for sharing and collaborating without a gatekeeper. Aforementioned in the first paragraph, Open Source creates virtual interactions for inputs. This creates a constantly advancing and conclusive community of sharers, creators, learners and teachers, promoting DIWO.

To end off, below is a video about the origin of Open Source and interesting facts about it:-

What is Open Source? // your phone probably runs it! (WITH LEGO) by Danielle Thé

Additional Inputs

Technological advancement plays a key role in allowing Open Source to strive. It is with the access to computers and the World Wide Web, does it allow the mass to contribute and receive inputs. Technological advancement globalized the world, shrinking “space” and “time”. Please Change Beliefs by Jenny Holzer discussed in class is an apt example. With the “third space” available, people from different countries are able to gain access to the site, crippling the physical distance. Also, since it is available 24 hours, assuming to infinite time, the site technically compiles inputs from the people of the past, present and the future. Essentially breaking the barriers of actual space and time, Open Source is a marvellous tool that continues to exponentially advance us as a community with DIWO.

In fact, in ADM itself this practice is prevalent, with our very own Open Source Studio (OSS). The community based sharing and collaborative site allows for the display of creative productions online (yet not restricting the nature of the art work, tradition or digital mediums).

taken from: https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/

Peer-to-peer interactions can be seen with the comment section open for insightful feedbacks or comments. Ergo, such platforms continues to inspire the newer generation of creators.

Additional Readings

Collaboration with Lean Media: How Open-Source Software Succeeds

Open Source Software and the “Private Collective” Innovation Model: Issues for Organization Science

 

 

Go, Observe, Write

This is my take on my trip down to Holland Village on a Wednesday evening at 5pm.

With the regular heat and humidity of Singapore’s climate, one would kill for a taste of an ice cold beverage on a midday here. As drillings and hammering sounds, the “clinks” and the “clanks”, were boisterously sounded, the peace disruptions and not forgetting the unforgiving climate do drive people indoors. Hanging around Holland Village on a late afternoon is not such a great idea after all. Its famous bars and fancy restaurants were just preparing to start their day of business. Yet, a bustling and happening corner stood right out to me. The superfood company, The Project Acai, was packed. Queues that run from cashier to the entrance would usually be detested. However, the atmosphere in the air and the vibe indeed drew people in, especially when its interior is air-conditioned. Hopping onto the bandwagon, I went to grab myself a cup of superfood and scurried to a nearby vacant seat. Pop music, music to my ears, healthy snack in my mouth, views of people pretty much like myself, I feel like I fit in, perfectly.

Yippies and yuppies, they are everywhere I see. The aged, I hardly notice. With charming and well-dressed attendants behind the counter preparing delicious cups of healthy food, no wonder this place is a home ground for the youths. Young couples, still in high school, in their Monday to Friday outfit, each having a cup of Acai in their hands, are seen spending time together. I could see why this place is a magnet to these people, very much like myself. Electronic dance music (EDM), top 100 songs in the hit chart were playing at the background on shuffle. I hardly not recognise the next song that came up. Fairy lights hanging from one light bulb to another, created a fantasy-liked backdrop for friends to relax and chat for as long as they would while eating healthily. Of course, in this tech savvy age, rarely will one start devouring before taking an Instagram worthy photo of the aesthetically attractive cup of Acai that is filled with a rainbow of colours created by the wide variety of fruits in its bowl. Did I mention that one cup of Acai goodness is not cheap too?

The rowdy group of friends seated just adjacent to me slowly became the bane of my existence. Each with a personality, I can see why they are such close buds even after all these years. Taking a break from work nearby the area, The Project Acai has become one of their favourite place to drop-by in the midst of their hectic schedules. Ladies in formal office wear of knee length dresses, make-up half faded out due to the day’s work, and killer heels that seemed to lightly bruised their veiny feet, this pitstop is not a want. Guys in suits, and gelled up hair, smart looking with a hint of dark eye rings, the past few nights must have been a long nighter. Possibly the end of a major project, that day must have been a shorter day for them to enjoy a sweet treat. “Let’s get out of here to get a puff”, as she signals the group with a slight head tilt. Very soon, they were seen heading towards the back ally for the stick that first brought them all together.