Starting Point

Click here and watch the last minute of the video.

And focusing on these comments from earlier in the video:

The idea of me (the viewed) not knowing what the viewers are planning to do to the space captured and the carrying out of the plan was interesting to me to explore for the final project.

Concept

Revisiting an essay on Collective Narrative by Randall Packer, it states that

“…the collective narrative is a sharing and open exchange of conversation, ideas, information, and media that leads to a synthesis of voices: forming a common thread among peers.”

-Randall Packer, Collective Narrative (2015)

This reminded me of how the engagement of the viewers and the viewed through the social media platform creates not only perspectives n in a sense narrative on their own end, but also creates another narrative – a synthesis of voices.

With that, my idea will revolve around the basis of the viewers (2nd space) having an awareness of the viewed (1st space) through Facebook Live (3rd space), and through the live, plan something such that they will physically enter the viewed space. 

More Inspiration

Again from the Collective Narrative,

“from the singular activity of a very personal form of individual expression, to a collective activity that is highly collaborative: all publishable instantaneously to a global audience.”

-Randall Packer, Collective Narrative (2015)

is another area i can branch out from. Something personal will be like your exact real time location like in the video and inviting people to join in, be it online or in the real space.

Getting inspiration from Blast Theory’s Can You See Me Now, of how people in the computer room controls playable characters through a real life space, and runners in the real space tracks these characters through a gps tracker and chases them.

The characters are named after people whom the players have not met or want to meet for a while. When the characters are caught, the runners will take a photo of the location that they ‘caught’ the characters, and a statement will say that this person is found at this location.

Even though the character is not a real person, the idea of ‘catching’ the one you miss heightens not only the longing, but a comfort to ‘meet up’ with the him/her.

Also, there’s Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin’s Listening Post (2003).

The work is an installation of multiple led panels in rows and columns in a space. Every now and then, it will get the data from the various social media platforms in their later renditions of the work.
Tracking on the phrase “I am”, they display the phrases on the led panels and is being read out by by the computer. Eg, “I am cold”.

What is interesting about the installation is the drawing upon people’s use of social media and making that part of the installation, such that at any instance, the content is unique. There’s also the idea of participation – both intended and unintended for the work and in such a way, those in their own comforts of their home (second space), are being drawn to the space of the work (first space) through the use of social media (third space).

Idea – Catch Me Live

Adopting closely to Can You See Me Now, my idea is to live broadcast myself and a bit of my location, while walking/running around.

I’ll invite people who are online to find me in the real space, through visual hints and if they do, i will fulfil a reasonable request for them live on Facebook. This incentive to find me or when they find me is still being thought through.