Tag: thirdspace

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Hello World!

A photo of the installation piece
Source: http://christopherbaker.net/projects/helloworld/

Hello World! is a work by artist Christopher Baker where he compiles over 5000 videos of different individuals speaking to an imagined audience from their private spaces onto a single screen as an installation to talk about participative media and the human desire to be heard. He is inspired by the interconnectivity present in our world today, where we might be alone in our own spaces but yet we can be together on this online platform. The viewers can either listen in to each speaker or just be immersed in the cacophony.

The artist wants to discuss about how technology created the existence of social media platforms which functions as a medium for people to share their views with the world, while expressing concerns as to if this ‘third space’ is really providing a suitable platform for them to actually be heard. He wants to focus on the concept of a third space and how it gives people the idea of their presence being noticed. The individuals in the videos continue sharing their opinions with the idea that there are people paying attention to them. However, this makes the third space of the social networking platform seem very one-sided in a sense that although individuals are given the opportunity to share their opinions, their opinions are not essentially heard by everyone else. This brings to a discussion as to if these platforms are social if they do not effectively provide a response to all the opinions voiced out.

Installation in the gallery
Source: http://christopherbaker.net/projects/helloworld/
The entire work in the gallery, one can imagine how chaotic it must be to hear each individual with their own opinions
Source: http://www.strozzina.org/identitavirtuali/e_baker.php
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Micro-Project #3: Telematic Embrace

Telematic embrace, what an appropriate name isn’t it! Although we have been discussing about the concept of a third space for awhile now, I find it very intriguing how the third space can offer a sense of intimacy that we used to think can only be experienced first hand in the real world.

The class going on adobe connect
Source: Taken from my phone

In this micro-project, what we did was to go onto adobe connect as a class and interact while following the instructions given each time. We did things such as trying to poke each other while synchronising our movements and angles, trying to form something with our arms with the whole class, and we also made use of objects to show regularity amongst everyone.

A shot of us on adobe connect
Source: Taken from my phone
A shot of the screen when we were trying to align our fingers together in pairs
Source: Taken from my phone
The class showing something pink that we have
Source: Taken from my phone
The class doing a cross across the screen
Source: Taken from my phone

Through this project, I realised the importance of communication and how we can actually interact and negotiate via this third space during the process of social broadcasting. We had to discuss and reach a consensus amongst everyone, before we were able to coordinate in our movements, to actually create something from it. I particularly like the one where we did the cross across the screen. Other than the fact that it looks really interesting in terms of composition, it also displays this fun side of working together in the third space. The first activity where we tried to connect our fingers together in pairs also aroused my interest in a sense that as we do that, not only were we connected in our movements (our fingers), but also connected spiritually although we were technically physically apart. Because of this project, it also got me thinking if the emotional bandwidth from the third space will eventually be strong enough to replace the feeling of intimacy from real human interactions since we will all be so absorbed and comfortable with our identities in the third space.