Fresh from the editing suite, at 1-11a room of course. Here’s the final documentation video.
Photographs below are taken by Adar. Thank you everybody for your all help one way or another through out the duration of the semester.
Money shot of LP. 
Class photo time! 
Signing out for the last time,
Kamarul.
There are the final images for today’s installation! What a day to end Interactive Spaces! I would definitely can imagine this going to a gallery and hang it on a wall and hide those wires behind those walls! 
Is this taken at ADM? Nope it is not. 
The solenoid works!
Definitely can do better with the wires organisation.
Oh look the wires are gone! 
Going to edit the videos and post it on the next post!
Cheers,
Kamarul
This is final stretch for the semester. One more weekend to go.
I am almost 97% done and now it is left to the installation.
Aren’t we suppose to be doing a catalogue like LP mentioned?
Getting it powered by Arduino’s 5v is not good enough. Solenoid needs more impact so we decide to go with 12v’s Solenoid that can be found at Sim Lim Tower for a cost of $8.90. At the 3rd Level. Followed a tutorial online on how to program a solenoid and it works as well. But the part is, i would need a longer transistor.
I also bought a 6V solenoid to test things out but it seems a 12V solenoid would work better. Hence, I bought a 12V transformer/power supply as well. 
I foresee that I would need to spend some time on the codes as well if I were to link it with Arduino.
Yesterday I bought some brackets to try to fix it with the solenoid.
Today I managed to complete the task.
I tried 2 different spot on the helmet to secure my solenoid to, at the top and at the back.
The top one is fine but it is difficult to mount the bracket as there is not even surface as shown. Hence it was hard to get it straight and thus I failed to make it straight.
However, placing it at the back was so much easier and it actually is better because I plan to hang the helmet anyway. I also decided to drill a hole in order to let the wire run inside of the helmet.
I fastened the solenoid to the bracket with 2 small black cable ties. It worked really well actually.
As you can see on the inside of the helmet, the wires are inside and this will make the installation look cleaner. 
9 Helmets to go!
So finally I decided to name it Hardland.
Enjoy the process video.
regards,
kamarul
For now, I do not have any title for this work just yet. But enjoy the photographs. Will be doing a behind the scene video as well! Stay tune!
The idea behind this installation is to create a conversation on the topic of construction. These hard hats could represent a foreign worker or it could represent a balance between the right amount of nature and architecture in terms of buildings. 
In a summary, this installation speaks about the concept of construction which is relevant in more developing countries and also developed countries as well. These safety hats are balanced on an acrylic rod which stands on its centre of gravity. This act of balancing represent the challenge government bodies faced on the issue of preserving the nature but at the same time, building infrastructure for the progress for the nation. 
Simple materials were used in this installation. There are only 3 items in fact. Helmets, nails and acrylic rods. The use of nails protruding the top of the helmet symbolises the life of these construction workers where they are nailed down to this choice of employment due to the lack of education.
This installation is interactive in a way that the helmets will sway left and right where there are winds, hence this installation is site specific.
Thank you to Vivian and Cindy for helping me out with the set up! Appreciate it!
Over the weekend, I was still thinking of how to improve the current idea of my last post here. I was walking towards Tiong Bahru and i saw this construction site. Then it hit me. Scaffolding. I was thinking on what do I use as a stand for the hard hat to balance. So I went to art friend. I was also thinking, why didn’t i think of putting my installation at the roof of ADM? cause IT MAKE PERFECT SENSE! There is wind and the grass floor is a perfect way to cheat. Furthermore, it emphasise of the concept of construction and nature. Having the right balance of nature and building is a challenged for every government and Singapore has find ways to tackle this. So I imagine this installation to be at the roof of ADM.
But first, I have to find the helmet’s centre of gravity. So what i did was to balance the helmet with a pole from the inside of the helmet. And I mark it and nailed it.
This nail would be the final balancing point that will connect the helmet and the pole. 
Sometimes I have trouble finding the right spot and when that happens, I have to nailed it again. 
For the pole, I chose 2 different materials. Acrylic rod and a wooden one. When I tried both material on site, I was in for a surprise. It turns out when I took a photo, the acrylic rod seems invisible! It is almost an illusion. And I am loving this. The only problem is that I have to find a acrylic rod that is not hollow.
As you can see, it stays quite nicely. Imagine the whole roof is filled with these helmets. It will be visually pleasing.
In terms of playing with the height, I also put some thoughts into it. I was thinking of playing with different height for different helmet but I won’t be making that decision now. Below is the video when there is wind.
The recess week is almost over and I still really have not really think of how my analog installation is going to take shape honestly. Despite the ideas that I shared last week in class, I still feel there is something missing in my work. Until today.
I was walking back to ADM from North Spine for lunch and 2 events I experienced struck me.
Firstly, these white helmets on the back of a bicycle. They were placed there randomly and they were almost balancing on the basket.
Secondly, when I was reaching ADM’s carpark, they were cleaners up climbing to wash the exterior of the building. They were wearing safety helmets incase anything happens.
Then suddenly, an idea struck me. I know I need to add another element to my yellow safety hat so this thought have always lingers in my mind. What if I could let the safety hat balance in motion? Below is an sketch that I did to visualise my idea. I would need a some sort of a stand that is able to take the centre of gravity of the helmet for it to balance.
I also thought about the layout of these balancing helmet. If I have nice helmets spaced out evenly, like option number 2, it would allow people to walk in between them to get a closer look of the installation.
sketch of helmet and layout options
In my opinion, I feel that this additional element in my analog installation would look good. I can imagine all 9 of them in balance and the tiny subtle movement of the hats would make the experience even special. I also feel that with the wind coming in from the side, it will shake the helmet and it will produce a very stunning visual moment in art history.
Furthermore, it speaks about how working in a construction place is actually a balancing act. Figuratively. One needs the right balance to ensure a right balance of work and also play. Working in high element in a construction place also requires a good balance as it is very dangerous and risky working in high places.
I feel the message is quite simple and subtle at the same time. I also thought of different places around ADM that I could install them to make the experience better. Below are the places that I consider. Taking in consideration that these frames that i took are the final frame that i would want to photograph them cinematically.
Option 1: Outside the lobby. Clean nice background
Option 2: Outdoor carpark. Spacious empty and windy
Option 3: Outdoor carpark. Nice background. Appropriate.
Option 3: Same place but different angle.
Option 4: Outdoor carpark. Different side of the carpark.
I’m all about the photograph and the final landscape that these helmets will play a part in the space. So i feel that the location is also equally important.
I was googling works of installation art that deals with a balancing act and I feel this is quite accurate to what I have in mind. I’m not too sure where and what this is about though.
I did a quick balance of my safety helmet that I have in class.
It seems i would need to make a small incise cut on to the helmet to make the balance more stable. Below is one example of a balancing toy.
I admit, it is hard to think of a concept and come up with ideas. No I lie, it is not hard to come up with ideas, the hard part is to actually stick with it.
Not trying to sound like a broken record, I am doing on the theme of Construction this whole semester for Interactive Spaces. I feel this direction will allow me to think creatively and also to limit ideas within a smaller frame. Does that make sense?
Below is a mind map that I have construct (pun intended) to allow me to see clearly where can I go with this. I would not have see things clearly if I hadn’t done this mind map actually. What’s interesting is that construction is not always about building things but it could also be tearing down things, like for example, demolishing an old building.
I have an idea of doing a sound installation so I did explore what kind of sound a construction would made and below are some of it which could be more of course. 
What if I could have a space that is able to allow people to experience a soundscape of a construction place. I think that could be cool. But taking inspiration from my previous post on Zul Mahmod’s work, I would like to construct a sound installation based on a data. Making sense of the first assignment where i used the yellow safety helmet, I would continue that series onto the next one. Here’s the one where Zul uses a solenoid motor to make a sound installation.
So my idea is this; have a helmet in a orderly manner and have these solenoid motor on each one of them to represent the connection between the helmet and a metal, which is a symbolic for construction I feel. Below is the sketches that i made.
The installation would require a little bit of programming as I want the solenoid to hit on interval times according to the data that I wish to tell and one of them is, the number of life is taken in a construction site.
However, after consulting LPD, he say that, the idea would be perfect for the final assignment instead.
So right now, I am going to loan out the Zoom 6 and put underneath the helmet to amplify the echo the helmet made! Be right back.