Tag: research

[PDP] Brainstorming ideas for FYP part 2

March 15, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Specifics:

I thought of doing an video installation with stories to tell where there will be 4 panels or more of people’s thoughts of what family means to them or what they would like family to be? There will be head phones attached to these panels and after that there will be a puzzle piece that will fall out. These puzzle pieces could be where people could write down what family means to them and bring them home or piece together with the bigger picture.

References/ Inspirations:

‘1999’ by Liu Ding
About the work:
“1999,” is a sound installation by artist Liu Ding. It is an episodic narrative about the cultural life in China in the 1990s. The artist uses telephones in his installation to unfold a series of so-called ‘telephone calls from the past.’ The work consists of recorded quotes and pop music of the 1990s. These texts were written by Liu Ding or excerpts taken from interviews Liu Ding conducted with Chinese artists and critics active in the 1990s.

http://www.shanghaibiennale.org/en/artist/detail/10/11.html
http://www.randian-online.com/np_feature/from-memory-to-archive-remembrance-and-amnesia-in-the-works-of-liu-ding-2/

Personal reflection:
I found this installation interesting where the artist uses the telephone to communicate the life of China in the 1990s using a familiar device, telephone. The installation enables the audience to listen to different stories or music from the past to understand the background of contemporary art. I could incorporate the idea of interviews or my own personal stories through a sound installation and people can hear them.

 

Autel de Lycée Chases by Christian Boltanski

About the work:
Autel de Lycée Chases is a photo and light installation by Christian Boltanski. Autel de Lycée Chases means Altar to the Chases High School. The artist uses black and white enlarged photos of Jewish students from a Viennese high school, 1931. He place the photos which do not give any clue to identify to connect to these individuals. The installation is most likely hinting at the Holocaust as it seems like a monument for the dead. There is light shining on these photos which may suggest hope alongside loss. Boltanski intermingles emotion and history, sentimentality and profundity in his work.

http://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/42505
https://www.guggenheim.org/arts-curriculum/topic/christian-boltanski

Personal reflection:
I found it quite disturbing in terms of the colour used by the artist. It is interesting where he plays with photos and light to create the mood he wanted to convey through the installation. I could think about how to place the panels in a interesting way or make the videos or photos in a specific mood to create thoughts and conversations among people. 

 

Life Needs Internet by Jeroen van Loon

Installation:

Website:

Video:

About the work:
Life Needs Internet is an installation created by Jeroen van Loon. The installation shows 8 handwritten letters from different people about the influence of the internet on daily life. The video portraits and letters are combined together. The artist wants to portray the evolution of the global digitalisation and it’s impact on different cultures through this installation. He also created a website to document how people feel about the internet through handwritten letters.

https://jeroenvanloon.com/life-needs-internet-2012/
https://jeroenvanloon.com/life-needs-internet-online/

Personal Reflection:
I feel that this installation is quite similar with my idea of stories even though it is in different context. The use of handwritten letters is something personal and reflects about a person’s thoughts. I felt that I could incorporate the use of website where I could let more people contribute their own personal stories and create a giant puzzle via a digital platform. The installation could be a video of the myself/ others or an object relating to my/ others stories.

 

Feedback/ food for thought:
1. Look into the process of learning – figure out the puzzle form

  • Digital form – write down on a digital platform and create the whole image through images or words (contribute to the website)
  • Physical form – write down on actual puzzle pieces or have images of puzzles that people can relate to, encourage them to write down their thoughts and piece all together to create a bigger picture.

2. Create an anecdote of 1 part of the story using the puzzle piece

  • For example – the cause of why there is a brokenness between the relationship between my grandmother and myself

3. The framework can start from my family then move on to interview people about their own personal relationships (collect stories)

 

[Int Space] Semester Project: Proposal

February 20, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Idea #1 – Big Pillow with tie dye/ bleached
The pillows will have different patterns and people can take them at different corners to rest/ sleep on them.

Idea #2 – Cardboard Playground
To create an playful environment for adults to play and have fun. It will be made of cardboard.

Idea #3 – PomPoms
It will be hang around a wall area and people can touch them. They will have various colours.

Idea #4 – Dollhouse rooms
There will be different layout of the rooms and people can go into the mini rooms to see the layout and different music will be played.


Idea #5 – Cardboard Playhouse
It will be human size and the audience can enter the house where they are free to move the furnitures around according to their preferences.

Idea #6 – Stacked giant pillows
This idea is an expansion of idea 1 where pillows are stack in one area and people can take these pillows and place it where ever they want. It is inspired from the foldable chairs.

Idea #7 – Doors
There will be multiple doors with different objects inside. People can open these doors but what they see at first is different from what the objects are.

Idea #8 – Coloured strings
Different coloured strings will be placed on the floor and people have to find a space in between the strings to walk to their desired destination.

Second Front :: Network Conversations - Adobe Connect. Interview by Randall Packer.

Research Critique: Second Front Interview on Networked Conversations

November 1, 2017 / / 1 Comment

The interview with the Second Front members were exciting and inspirational. They have set me thinking about performance art and their approach or opinions on it. It is so fascinating to see them getting so excited when they crash the internet. Usually when the internet crashes, people start to panic and try to fix the problem asap. Through their reaction, it made me think through how I could approach the similar matter if my internet crashes or lost of internet connectivity instead of getting all panic.

Grand Theft Avatar. Second Front. Credits Randall Packer oss.

Second Front based their experience in theatre performances into the virtual space where they could do anything. In the world of possibilities, many may feel that Second Life would be more interesting since they could go wild in whatever they do as compared with their First Life or personal life. The audiences they have are actively participating in the performance they create however in some instances, they target passive-in-world audiences. It is interesting that having been around for many years, their audiences are still highly active. The link shows the amount of audiences that have participated/ watch their performances. 

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/10/returning-to-second-life/

“Imagination is the only limitations towards performance.”

Bibbe Hansen

It is interesting that they feel the only thing limiting their performance is their imagination mentioned by Bibbe Hansen. Usually we see our surroundings or environment as our limitations but drawing the fact that imagination is the factor. I guess in their case the need to have limitless imagination is the key to constantly create interesting performances. 

“Based on what happens…”

Patrick Lichty

Their works are mainly based on happenings where they played with identities. Second Front steal their audiences identities or making the participants as an avatar without them knowing. In such cases, some are scripted while others are not. It brings the question as to when they decide when it is scripted and when it should be spontaneous. They agree that it depends on the intention of the artist and director, what they want to portray on and their targeted audiences. For Grand Theft Avatar it is a heavily scripted narrative whereas Summer of Love 2.0 and Car Bibbe is spontaneous since the focus is on happenings and events.

Grand Theft Avatar. Second Front performance. secondfront.org.

Car Bibbe. Second Front performance. secondfront.org

“As technology evolves without any boundaries… rewiring our brain in technology” is what Liz Solo mentioned in the interview with Second Front. It seems they are progressing further in their experimentations with incorporating various technology with their performance just as Patrick Lichty said. It is interesting that they are already using various platforms, google docs, odyssey art and performance simulator to create their performance personally or for audience. The exploration of world based performance to virtual space is happening currently in their works now.

“Connected with others using tools, immersive, digital culture with 2 foot in”

Doug Jarvis

Collaboration is a huge factor in their performance. Doug Jarvis mentioned in the interview where connecting with other enables him to interact with people all over the world. Since Second Front members are located all over the world, it makes sense that the digital platform is needed for collaborative work. Just as Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz, creators of Hole in Space mentioned that “…create a performance place with no geographical boundaries…” and here Second Front is also demonstrating the same fact. Just as Hole in Space interacts with the audiences through the use of first and second space creating a third space, Second Front also interacts with their audiences in the same manner. 

Second Front :: Network Conversations – Adobe Connect. Interview by Randall Packer.

Overall, the interview with the Second Front members created lots of thinking and made me think of how many times I wanted to separate the virtual and reality. At the same time both realms also portrays me just through a different manner. When performance art push the boundaries, the bodily aspect is not always necessary but the emotions that we have can also be portrayed through an avatar too. I wish that one day I could collaborate with the Second Front members which I could learn from them their performance art vision.

Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash

Case Study 1: Discovering Southeast Asia culture

August 23, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Theme: Beyond the seas
When I first heard of the theme beyond the seas and having Asian/ Southeast Asian mythology or legends involved got me quite excited. I decided to explore the cultural aspects and patterns for the media art wall. Not only that, I wanted to explore the area of languages in these regions too and how I can fuse both together.

 

Concept/ idea #1: Paper art
Paper cutting is one of the traditional art styles in China. It was first discovered in tombs during the Nan Bei Dynasty in 420 BCE. In current times, funeral rites still use this art to create human and objects to be buried or burnt with the deceased. Paper cuttings are commonly done by the Miao people, an ethnic minority in southwest China. They use the paper cuttings of spirits and gods as a form of Shamanism. The motifs commonly seen in paper cuttings are human and animal figures where they richly decorated with details.

I have always been fascinated with the intricate designs of paper cuttings. I thought of experimenting with different kinds of paper art and making them transform from one colour to multiple colours when people starts to interact with the media wall. In this manner, I could incorporate this aspect of Chinese art with the different myths or legends to create my own interpretation of collage storytelling.

Image inspirations:

Auspicious wedding paper cuttings

Video Inspirations:

I was inspired by this video where the paper was cut out from a plain coloured paper and slowly revealing the colours of the actual piece. 

I was inspired by this video as paper cuttings are incorporated with the storytelling.

 

Concept/ idea #2: Shadow play
Shadow play or theatre is an ancient form of entertainment and storytelling of legends or myths of Southeast Asia. It uses puppets that are cut out in details which is reflected on the translucent paper when light shines. Shadow play is an ancient art and folk tradition common in Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia where it incorporates religion or folk stories. This is usually used in sacred ceremonials, villages and entertainment for people with high status.

I was fascinated by the shadow play as I could explore light and shadow. I could also explore different styles in creating the puppets to merge different legends or myths of Southeast Asia. Since shadow plays are common in Southeast Asia, it would connect better with the stories of the past.

Research:
Traditional theatre where a Dalang, puppeteer controls the Wayang Kulit/ Shadow Play. Musical instruments such as wind, serunai and strings (rebab) are used hand in hand with Wayang Kulit/ Shadow Play. The stories are being passed down orally and generations.

Thailand, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are countries that still tell stories via shadow puppets.

There are a few different kinds of shadow play.
1. Kelantanese
Hikayat Seri Rama (Ramayana epic) is being told using Kelantanese shadow play. Mixture of spells/ fixed/ classic invocations are seen in the story. In the story, kings and deities have one movable hand and static mouth.

2. Wayang Golek
Musical instruments and symbolic aspects are mostly seen here with the shadow puppets.

3. Wayang Melayu
Unlike Kelantanese shadow play, the puppets here have two movable arms.

4. Wayang Purwa
A classical Javanese theatre where the puppets are influence by elemental gods (sun, rain, wind, water, fire, earth, sea and sky), ghosts and spirits. Storytelling in Wayang Purwa incorporates folklorist medium.

In shadow play, the stage (Bangsal) is most important. It is made of wood from the palm trunks and bamboo, roof is made from sago/ palm leaves and the walls from bamboo weaving.

Each puppets have their own characteristics and individual character. It is made of cow/ buffalo/ goat hide where it is being mounted on sticks to move the joints of the puppets. This is so that the puppets are able to adapt to the storyline or performance that is being told. The designs are based on geographical and social culture. The main characters mouth are static and only the right hand moves while the comical characters both the hands and mouth are movable. In the past, simple engravings, and black and shadows were seen. Now intricate and impressive designs which incorporates colourful batik patterns. Different floral patterns, design and height symbolises the puppets status. 

Image Inspirations:

Wayang Kuilt

Wayang Kuilt

Wayang Kuilt

Video Inspirations:

This video caught my attention as China also uses shadow play as a means of telling a story of myths and legends.

I was extremely excited when I saw this video as there was some interaction involved. When a player or person moves his fingers/ hand, the device detects the movement causing the shadow puppets to move. This seems as if you are controlling the puppet just like the actual shadow play. I was thinking of incorporating the detection of movement causing the person to tell a story as the puppets move.

 

Concept/ idea #3: Patterns
Southeast Asia has a diverse of culture and history. Many different kinds of patterns are seen from fabric to decorative ornaments from animals motifs to plants motifs to human sculptures. As different parts of southeast Asia have different religion and traditions which could incorporated as patterns or stories so that they could be passed down to the next generations instead of oral traditions.

I wanted to explore the different kinds of patterns and incorporate into the myths and legends of Southeast Asia where I could use abstract images to create a story. I could experiment different materials when I create these patterns since they are not limited to just one material.

Image Inspirations:

Hmong tribe fabric

Chinese Knotting: Jewellery

SEA textile patterns

Chinese Motifs

Video Inspirations:

I was inspired by this video where textiles, lights, sounds and interactivity were fused together to create an artwork.

I was inspired by this video where different colours and patterns of fabrics were used. The piece slowly progress to a Chinese Ink effect which I enjoyed.

2D Project 1: Lines

October 11, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Research:

Lines project:

SAM_0690

The 3 expressions that I have chosen are sloven, aggressive and psychotic.

For sloven, I decided to use hair as lines because it depicts messy when I just place the hair is a way that it’s anyhow placed.

For aggressive, the lines used are thick and the medium I used is mono print. Through Franz Kline work, thick lines are used which depicts anger so I decided to use that idea on my work.

For psychotic, I see it as fingernails scratches on painted walls. Through my research of Emma Kunz, I see that the patients she deals with are those who are mentally unstable and through that I decided to linked it to psychotic. Not only that, the works done by Julie Mehretu also made me thought of psychotic. Therefore, I decided to combine them to create the line work as being scratched in a psychotic way. I used black and white paint with white glue and using a stick to show the line work.