Final Project : Glitch Singapore

Final Project

 

How it was made
(Roles, documentation of process, development)

In the beginning, my team and I was really lost in regards of thinking about an idea. It is quite tough to incorporate story narrative into designing a project that has to encompass all three concepts of  DIWO, Glitch, and Third Space. Our initial idea was to allow 2 of our members to become the cast and the narrative is about this 2 friends quarreling. One of their actions/replies will be controlled by random strangers’ instructions. However, after consultation, the feedback was that the narrative/project idea is not strong enough. We were so caught up by the fact that there needs to be a narrative, all our brains are experiencing creativity block! We further develop our idea to a game like amazing race/treasure hunt idea. In the end, after some clarifications, knowing that we do not need extensive narrative but more of a kind of goal/motivations. We manage to come up with the idea of “Good Enough to Eat” together!

From the idea of creating dishes between 2 chef’s competition, we developed to having to incorporate DIWO by allowing others to have full control of the cooking process! Furthermore, we used facebook live as a platform for the viewers to participate! Also by getting the food from different places(North, East, West) add-on to the theme of Glitch Singapore! The goal of our project is for the 2 Chefs to create dishes by using both edible and inedible items with the help of our fellow participants in a time limit of 30mins!

Roles

Logistic: Azizah, Hazel, Tanya

Cast: Tanya, Karen

Commentator: Celine

Camerawoman: Hazel, Azizah

Editor: Celine (with the assistance of Tanya, Hazel, Azizah)

Process

  1. Gather edible and inedible food suggestions from others
  2. All of us went to different places to get the ingredients
  3. Prepare any “cooking” utensil that is needed
  4. We informed and publicise our facebook page live event and inform others about the timing and necessary details
  5. During the big day, we waiting for at least a minimum of 10 viewers before we conduct our live at the designated timing.
  6. All “ingredients” and “utensils” are being set up properly.
  7. As the live start, viewers were shown with the list of ingredients that we had(we put it up as an FB post on FB too)
  8. As the viewers comment the instructions on the live video, our chef followed their instruction to prepare the “food”
  9. Live cooking show ends after 30min!

 

Final description of concept
(DIWOThe Third Space, and Glitch, Documentation of research, artwork references)

 

Our team’s project has reflected the three concepts by:

  • DIWO: We asked others to help us in deciding the ingredients/inedible items to be bought. We have also asked them to direct us to cook the dishes by giving us the instructions. Hence our outcome of the dishes is unknown and fully in control by the viewers and the outcome are unable to be replicated looking exactly the same.

  • Third Space:  We have used Whatsapp, a virtual platform to connect with others to ask for suggestions for ingredients. In addition, our live cooking show is using Facebook as a platform to conduct a live stream. This allows real-time experiences to happen, connecting people from different people from different remote places to join us in creating our dish in real-time without needing them to be physically present.

 

  • Glitch: Glitch, defined as a sudden or temporary malfunction or fault of an object/subject/issue. In our project, we prepared the dishes in the most abnormal way by using the rawest material, form and method to put everything together. The dishes came out “weird” and “different”. Something people would never eat or looks too bizarre to be created. However, despite that bizarre making process, the outcome has a certain sense of normality to it. It looks to a certain extent similar to dishes like potato salad, normal drinks, spicy meat and vegetable! This is the beauty of glitch.

The inspiration of our project is also partially coming from “The Futurist Cookbook”.

“Believing that people “think, dream and act according to what they eat and drink,” Marinetti formulated strict rules not only for the preparation of food, but also the serving and eating of it, going so far as to call for abolishing the knife and fork. A short excerpt from his introduction shows him applying to food the techno-romanticism of his Futurist theory.” – ethos by Benito Mussolini

With that concept in mind,  we further developed our project in our own style!

Reflections
(Unexpected elements, Challenges, Take away)

As the logistic person and camerawoman, I had fun in the process of carrying out and participate in the process of creating DIWO, Third space and Glitch experience! Shopping for random items really excites me into imagining how would the end result of our dishes looks like! Of course, the outcome came out so different from what I’ve imagined! At first, ingredients like the rubber bands, straws, and other inedibles I will speculate that perhaps the audience will ask us to cut it in small pieces and sprinkle it on top of our dishes as a garnish. However, they surprise me with using them as tools instead! Such experiences and process really inspire me of wanting to try out more new things and embrace all the unexpected in life!

Also, initially the audience started off with items that are more safe and edible such as the pear, apple, and coke. However, as the video progresses, they became more and more wild with the items used such as the inedibles! If I were to ever do the experiment with my team again, perhaps I would like to try some different element such as by letting the “chefs” to start the craze first by introducing inedible to the dish. Also, I would introduce in more glitch and DIWO by keep swapping chefs in a timely manner to make it even more interesting and intense!

There are certain unexpected challenges such as technical faults. Not all comment in the real-time was being executed as some comments do not show in the commentator’s phone. As a result, we really missed out a lot of good and interesting instructions! However, such error further adds on to the sense of glitch in our project. Which is something I have learned to embrace. The imperfection of virtual space and time. As the saying goes, plans will never be able to compete against the unpredicted uncertainties. Perhaps the Glitch of time and technologies is well represented by what we have encountered in our project here. Experiencing it in the form of time-lag and virtual technologies errors. However, we still have to carry on with what we have and still being able to enjoy the process as it is.

 

 

Hyperessay

Intro

Social broadcasting, a many-to-many broadcasting differs from traditional one-to-many broadcasting that is only served as a one-way transmission of media and information. Social broadcasting allows us to explore more possibilities in terms of social and collaborative exchange, which happens live in a two-way interplay manner. It also constitutes concepts such as DIWO and third space. Such platform or performance usually allows viewers to re-think about certain existing social issues or possible ideas and concepts that could be further explored and dive into.

 

Social Broadcasting Performance

During Annie Abrahams symposium performance on Thursday, the performance started off with black screens, followed by one voice speaking “excellent”. Slowly, the rest starts to follow up with different voices of numbers and time. Next, visual of different settings and white walls start to appear in various seven panels accompanied by sounds of humming. When everyone is “ready” one of the panels start to show fingers and the rest starts to show different part and action done by their hands too. A combination of different harmony and sound effect is present. Finally, different objects are being shown throughout the different panels and being accompanied by different political statements. The performance ends off with all performers revealing themselves, however, all kept their eyes closed and remained silent as they go offline one after another. During her performance, online viewers are able to talk silently in the chat area, which is very different from traditional performance. As traditional performance usually does not allow chatting amongst the audience.

Chat during performance

Performance Analysis – Annie Abrahams

In the performance, Annie Abrahams has incorporated third space and DIWO into her performance. From what we have learned in regards to third space from the past few months is that third space is “a space with no geographical boundaries” that allows us to connect two parties from different remote places together. Creating an illusion of intimacy and sense of reality through this space.

However, in the context of this symposium performance by Annie Abrahams, she used third space as a medium to express a different concept. While acknowledging the fact that third space could bring us intimacy, she explored the rawness and flaws of the use of virtual space and machines. She explored the complexity of relationships between the machine and human behavior, communications, and connections in third space. Proving that it could actually be just as imperfect, vulnerable and messy.  In her performance, despite all of the performers knows that they are at different spaces, as we are able to see seven screens showing different items at different backgrounds. She believed that play and creation are still achievable despite any latency. Through the clever use of needless of any synchronization in the performance, which may be deemed as flawed, everything still falls into place perfectly creating a performance that has the illusion of some sort of structure. As an audience, I felt a sense of calmness and liking towards this piece of performance.

Different expression without synchronization
Different items without synchronization

In terms of DIWO, so far from what we have learned, DIWO break the traditional artist and audience hierarchy and encouraged different people to engage in the art-making process. Which I would like to quote, DIWO “ allows space for an openness where a rich mixing of components from different source crossed over and build a hybrid experience.” Resulting in leading to having unpredictable outcomes. In Annie Abrahams performance, she clearly allowed the freedom of DIWO. Despite having a few rules, she gave her fellow performers a lot of freedom of expression, into showing any item that they want to show. Any fifteen chosen political statement that they would like to use without needing to be seen by her. Any sound to be made would be impromptu harmonizing. As a result, creating such a harmonious and unexpected piece despite having little planning.

Different items without synchronization

Keynote analysis – Blast Theory

With the use of digital broadcasting, third space and DIWO, Blast Theory also created works, which explored social and political questions. One particular piece that I really like from Blast Theory is “My Neck of the Woods”. Whereby teenagers are able to Vlog about themselves while being able to ask or answer questions given by a group of online participants. The use of DIWO and Third space through social broadcasting in this piece is amazing. It fuses both concept of DIWO and third space really well. Personal intimacy( a concept seen in Third space) of being able to have private conversations with a few unknown people each time(DIWO concept) while the rest that is not picked to have a conversation could sit back and watch the conversation unfold as audiences.

Private conversation
Personal, intimate questions and disclosure
The concept of DIWO, Third Space, and Social Broadcasting

Conclusion

In conclusion, through the performances and keynotes, we could see both uses interactive art with concepts such as DIWO and third space to bring attention to social issues. Different political statements are being brought up by different people of different countries with different political issues during Annie Abrahams’s performance. As Annie Abrahams mentioned, “Now it’s a time where political issues are difficult”. Hence, her performance could be a form of expression, expressing a group of people having different ways of thinking together. It could also be seen as a manner of escaping together, away from the machines. All speculations are open to audiences’ interpretation.

Her performance also sparks new forms of thinking. At the last part, all performers kept quiet without having any eye contact. It questions the issue of whether humans are still connected with each other through the third space if there is no relationship connection in the absence of sound and visions. Which is also a social issue that allows the audience to further ponder on.

Explore concepts, issues between machine and human behavior

Finally, both Annie Abrahams and Blast Theories’s work showed us a different perspective towards the concept we have learned so far about Diwo and third space which is an eye-opener for me.

Micro-project 7 (Video Selfie)

 

For this project, I have decided to go with Taylor Swift as my alter ego. She is really well known for her confidence on stage, her brave opinions regarding her own life, her passion for always staying true and connected to herself and everyone.

I have decided my alter ego to be her as she is someone with the qualities that I aspire to be but yet unable to achieve yet. She is confident and fully immersed when she performs on stage. Like her, there is a part of me that loves to sing and would love to be confident on stage.  However, there is also another part, which is the real me that is like a sloth that is not confident, slow, shy, quiet and likes to just sing and is only comfortable in singing in my own enclosed bathroom.

“Happiness and confidence are the prettiest things you can wear.” – Taylor Swift

“In my opinion, the only way to conquer stage fright is to get up on stage and play. Every time you play another show, it gets better and better.” – Taylor Swift

The bathroom to me is an intimate private space that is the only time that you can be true to yourself, a place that you have nothing to hide, an enclosed comfortable place that you don’t have to be afraid of getting judged. Therefore I choose it as the background as it symbolizes both how as Taylor swift she is always being true to herself and is always comfortable and confident no matter where she is, be it in the bathroom or on stage she could be equally confident. At the same time, as the real me (a sloth) who is not confident enough and only dare to sing in a private enclosed place in the bathroom. Hence, the same place symbolizes two different meaning for my alter ego and the real me.

At the end of the video, I revealed myself as who I really am but still holding on to the mic. I just wanted to portray the embracement and self-acceptance for both my alter ego and myself.

Micro-Project 6: A Day in the Life of Super-Participation

A Day in the Life of Super-Participation

Members:  Hazel, Joey, JJ, Qistina

 

Personally, in my opinion, I feel that when I’m doing this microproject, I was very reluctant to disclose too much as I felt this project is a little to privacy invading. So most of the things that I post I tend to filter it, in terms of choosing what to post and what not to. So most of my post doesn’t show my face at all, but rather I show the things that I do or picture taken of others. I felt that the only personal things that I shared were my thoughts and how felt that day.

For my team, the things that we share are mainly how we go on about our daily life. Such as the food we eat, traveling or doing certain activities at certain places.

 

 

I believe that this project is not just about expressing our digital identity but at the same time a source of companionship. For my team’s post, some of the posts are a little emotional. For example, when I posted a photo of my grandma, it reminded JJ about his late grandma too, and this evokes a certain connection between people through the digital platform. Likewise, that day at night I posted my thoughts/feelings and Qistina comforted me, and this sort of allows people to feel that you are not alone through such a medium.

Digital media has become an extension of our digital image because what we post without much consideration actually reveal a lot about us even though we might think that they may be something trivial and not as revealing. However, human nature just functions in a manner that we process even the smallest information about you and form really quick judgment.

I felt that some people try to create persona/image of ourselves. However, I felt that at the same time, people tend to form an image of us as well via social media.

I felt that to a certain extent there are similarities between forming our self-image in social media and in reality because at both states we are able to be in control of what we want to show and what we choose not to, its just that social media has a wider freedom in terms of filtering.

Research Critique 3 – Glitch & The Art of Destruction

Glitch & The Art of Destruction

Members: Hazel, Tanya, JJ, Yeolmae

 

Synopsis

Our micro project 5 is about destroying physical Styrofoam with different tools. Trying to aim for the idea of while in the process of joining object together there is destruction and failure occurring during the process. For example, the usage of glue is to keep things together, but when applied to foam it deteriorates it. However, the idea was not successful, hence we carried on with the idea of just purely destruction.

 

1) This project has embraced the imperfection through destruction. Through the destruction of the medium, we allow freedom of errors and unexpected outcome without determining what should our outcome looks like.

For example, at first, our team was planning to use tools such as nails, glue, heat gun, fire to express the idea that tools as such may seem like it is connecting/joining the Styrofoam together however at the same time it destructs our object by leaving it scarred. However, this idea did not work out as planned, as we could not find the necessary tools that we have planned to use. Therefore, we embraced the process of encountering problems and decided to make do with what we can find and continue carrying out our destruction process. We replaced the planned items/process with super glue deterioration, scratching with a plier, breaking with hand and compressing with the clamp instead.

Through the filming process, it is inevitable for having sound or unstable hand camera movement. Hence, embracing inconsistencies, we incorporate such sounds and video movement into our project.

Initially, we thought that the use of UHU/super glue on foam would deteriorate it rather fast and the result would be obvious. However, it did not work out and by embracing such accident we just tried to further destruct it by filming it in a time-lapse and chaotic manner.

“The negative definition also has a positive consequence: it helps by (re)defining its opposite.”

 

2) Originally, it was a rectangular typical block of Styrofoam that we all recognize, through the process of destruction and deterioration it has become something that is irregular, out of shape and full of traces of “scar” that reflects the process it has gone through. In addition with the further inconsistency of filming and added on video editing effects, it became unrecognizable from the video. Instead of bringing it to the most basic and raw form we bring it to its limit. Testing the limit of how far can the foam endure destruction.

3) It is an artistic expression because we allow people to see objects either in its truest raw form or the limits of its qualities. At the same time through such expressions, we embrace and explored flaws. Nothing is perfect and things eventually deteriorate through the passage of time. Even if time and destructions cause imperfections that stays–like scars (perhaps a human form of glitch/destruction), it is important to recognize their existence, acknowledge them and accept them. Be it non-living items, technologies or human social behavior they are the same existing in all context and it is important for people to realize it. Through no restrictions and rules for perfection, the freedom of expression is able to create unexpected outcomes that enable us to learn about things around us in a deeper level instead of staying superficial with our limited perception. Looking at things from a different perspective could open up many more possibilities.

“They’re imperfect, they are not clean, because they exist in the world, which is also imperfect. And so, I do believe that dirty new media as a way of life and as an approach to art making is a way of foregrounding these facts, these realities, of our lived experiences.”

Research Critique 2 (Week 5)

Connecting with others (by Felicia and Hazel)

Synopsis

My team’s telematics performance is about connecting with others that you don’t know through third space. In this project, it is performed in the 2d and 3d room. I’m supposed to “connect” to five other strangers by doing different actions with them. There are five levels to each action and as the level proceed the intimacy level of it increases. The five actions start off with E.T. finger pointing, Hi-Five, heart shape, scissors-paper-stone and finally followed by kissing through the third space. We combined both crowdsource and telematics performance together and came out with this idea.

E.T. finger pointing
Hi-five
Scissors-paper-stone
Heart shape

Analysis

To me, third space is a space that is formed when combining a physical space and a remote space together. It is a space that allows us to communicate and interact through any platform/mediums as long as it connects people from a different location that is far apart. Be it through games, virtual or non-virtually.

Boundaries of third space can be collapse by allowing people to have a real life, real-time experience despite staying at different location creates a form of an illusion of “realness”. For example, in my group’s telematics performance, the Facebook live was happening in real-time and interactions can be received and reacted instantaneously. As a result, it creates a connected space as if we are in the same space/environment interacting despite being at a different location. If our project happened to have any time lag, I believe the result will not be as believable. It breaks the illusion and unique experience of third space.

The intimacy of third space can be created by tricking ourselves of having the illusion of feeling intimate with our senses and real-time experience. For example, visually, anything that we see that is life size naturally we will find it realistic and believable. Such visuals in turns lead us into believing in the sense of touch. In addition, listening to the sound in a real-time manner further making us into believing that third space is a reality. Likewise in my project, we included a lot of such touching, visual and real-time experience which brings a new perspective towards intimacy whereby one does not need to be physically present to feel intimate. Rather, we create intimacy by sharing the same space. Even if the platform is different such as speaking or texting through phone, you will still feel the sense of sharing the same time or moment.

 

“The third space is a fluid matrix of potentiality and realizable connections to the most far-reaching remoteness.”

  • “A space with no geographical boundaries.”

For my project, I have “touched” our participants by doing the action first and let them synchronize their action with me in the middle of the split screen. It has to be at the right distance and connecting point in order for it to work or feels real. Before we start our Facebook live, we have technical issues and we solve it by communicating in another third space platform which is Whatsapp. During the live video, we collaborate with one another by giving gesture hints or simply speak to each other through facebook live to work things out.

Other examples

Our project is similar to examples such as the Telematics Dreaming by Paul Sermon and The Big Kiss by Annie Abrahams. Both our project and the given examples play with the idea of make using our sense of visual and touch to connect with strangers in an intimate manner. However, both projects differ in ours being able to speak and communicate, while the examples mentioned above doesn’t.

Telematic dreaming
The Big Kiss

Reflection

Before this project, I only view third space as a platform for communicating or socializing purposes. However, my role as the participant of this project makes me notice how “real” and “intimate” the experience could actually be in this third space. Doing all the other four action was fine but until the last part, which is kissing, deep down I hesitated a bit before I actually act upon it. I didn’t expect this as I thought I know very well that this space is “fake”. However, turns out that subconsciously I felt that it is rather “real”.

Kiss

Research Critique 1 (Week 3)

FIRST IMPRESSION (group members: Felicia, Fizah, Hazel)

SYNOPSIS

My team’s crowdsourced artwork is about other’s perception versus against our own self’s perception. We begin with asking our teammate about her self-perception. Followed by letting others write their first impression of her on her arms. However, we realized we should have asked people to write on her back instead so they won’t be afraid to write their honest opinions. The result turns out that people have positive impression of her instead of more negative ones which is how she has viewed herself.

“First Impression” on arms

ANALYSIS

In contrast to traditional art made by a single artist, we do not have control over the outcome of this project. The concept of crowdsourcing project is to “ allows space for an openness where a rich mixing of components from different source crossed over and build a hybrid experience.”. Therefore, the need for different responses is required in order to create this project.

“First Impression” on back

This project is a departure from traditional artistic creation as it happens in a real-time manner which requires a direct interaction between the audience and the artist. Also, Different locations with different crowds could have resulted in a different outcome. People may react differently according to what other’s has already done in prior. Hence, there are many variables that are very uncertain as compared to traditional modes of artistic creation.

My team’s crowdsource artwork is very similar to Yoko Ono’s “Cut Piece”. It is similar in terms of requiring our teammate to become an “object” and allowing people to freely label her as to how they perceive her. Similarly, our work also brings an intended message.

Yoko Ono “Cut Piece”

OTHER EXAMPLES

Before being introduced to Yoko Ono’s work, I’ve come across another similar example years ago. “Rhythm 0” by Marina Abramovic in 1974. This crowdsource artwork had left me with a deep impression. It is about revealing the terrible side of humanity.

“Rhythm 0” by Marina Abramovic in 1974
“Rhythm 0” by Marina Abramovic in 1974
“Rhythm 0” by Marina Abramovic in 1974, Objects

REFLECTION

Personally, I felt that crowdsource artwork is not just about collaborating and creating amazing artwork of unexpected outcome or gathering of different responses. I felt that it also serve as an impactful art that reflects the society and ourselves. As stated in DIWO article, “Diwo is a collective approach that allows peers connect, communicate and collaborate, creating controversies”. Through the process of crowdsourcing artwork, it doesn’t just allow unlimited possibilities of ideas and fun. It also reveals how we as humans react in certain circumstances, which bring across social issues that we always tend to neglect on.

Hence, I was very inspired by Marina Abramovic artwork and have always wanted to try out such crowdsource artwork. Therefore derived to the perception idea that my group and I have. If there is one thing I could improve on our crowdsource artwork experiment is that to have the opportunity to experiment it at a different location. Having our subject to stand still and emotionless. Carrying a board saying “What is your first impression of me?”. I would be really curious to find out how will the outcome be like as the audience now are all strangers of different age and backgrounds.