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PHYSICAL SPACE FOR ART (INSTALLATION) / PUBLIC ART:

  1. Swiss artist Felice Varini and the Chilean architecture practice Pezo von Ellrichshausen have collaborated on the large-scale project – called A Hall for Hull 

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Hull UK City of Culture 2017 commissioned the duo as part of the Hull 2017 ‘Look Up’ programme of public art installations. Sixteen giant galvanized steel columns arranged in a grid formation have been installed in front of Hull Minster, forming a new outdoor ‘room’ for the English city. This installation forms a temporary hypostyle room without a roof, with massive but almost immaterial columns barely open to the sky and to the immediate surroundings.

The empty stone-paved square is challenged by the size and disposition of a regular open grid and each column is, in fact, an inhabitable room with a single entrance pointed to a different direction.”

Visitors face a range of different experiences as they enter each of the 6m (20ft) high columns, which are open to the sky. Perforations have been added across their frosted-like steel skin to “create a delicate interplay of light and shadow across the interiors of each inhabited space” and create “a feeling of lightness” as visitors move closer to the initially imposing static structures.

Varini has created three hand-drawn artworks across the columns that distort and redefine their otherwise rigid geometry, challenging perceptions of scale and perspective.

 

2. Li Xiaodong

‘Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined’ is an incredibly engaging exhibition curated by Kate Goodwin, showing at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, until 6th April 2014.  Seven international architectural practices from 4 continents were invited to transform the gallery spaces at the Royal Academy through the creation of large-scale installations. Their primary challenge was to enable visitors to gain new perspectives on architecture and they have achieved this by offering the visitor the opportunity to experience space through a range of materials and structures, which, appeal to all the senses.

At first, the visitor encounters walled labyrinth-like paths, which, are dark yet at the same time oddly bright and they are constructed from both natural materials (hazel sticks and branches) and man-made materials (acrylic panels with LED lights).  Li Xiaodong wished to metaphysically reflect the feeling of walking through a forest of snow at night.

The oppositional forces within the space, the material choices and lack of knowing the route through the maze-like paths or the destination, may lead to an uncanny experience like my own, but it also leaves room for the visitor to use their imagination and experience the space and materials in different ways.

Nestled between some of the paths visitors discover small rooms like alcoves, some with tall narrow entrances and others with low wide openings. Inside space is confined but not claustrophobic; it is like a peaceful sanctuary. The beech plywood from which it is constructed has a warm and cosy feel.  This creates a stark contrast to the glow through the doorway of artificial dazzling whiteness emitted from the LED lit panelled floor, which exudes a feeling of icy coldness. The proportions between spaces, seating, table surfaces and openings within the room are interconnected making the rooms so simple and reductive. The visitor, therefore, has maximum opportunity to experience the space and materials both physically and spiritually for what they are, with no distractions.  Li Xiaodong is inspired by the philosophy of Lao Tzu, who stated that what is important is what is contained not the container and this is certainly evident in this installation.

Eventually, the visitor reaches a Zen garden which reflects the idea of achieving a clearness or understanding.  The wide open space has a loose pebbled floor and its mirrored wall creates an illusion of the space being more expansive than it is.

 

References: 

http://www.cladglobal.com/CLADnews/architecture_design/RIBA-Pezo-von-Ellrichshausen-Felice-Varini-Hull-Hull-City-of-Culture-2017-architecture-design/334361?source=facebook&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined, Royal Academy of Arts, London

https://owengildersleeve.com/showcase/shadow-spaces

 

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These are the 5 wood manufacturing sounds!

Codes for Woodzenture

Bare Conductive:

DFplayer:

Telebox:

Servo Motors:

Reflection:

These are my sketches for the digital phase for Woodzenture. There are some changes along the way and it really taught me how to step out of my comfort zone and try something that I have always wanted to try-making wood installations. The making of the bowls was long but enjoyable. Exploring different kinds of electronics allowed me to breathe a different kind of life into each bowl. The other electronics I have tried were the PIR sensor, Touch sensors with vibration as well as the RFID . However, I decided to take those out as they kind of break the cohesiveness of my current idea. Overall, I learnt a lot through Woodzenture and really like how it looks.

     (these are all the different codes I have for this project which includes all my other experimentations).

 

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 “Woodzenture”

 

The concept of “Woodzenture” installation:

This is a concept of a healing space where it serves to comfort and reminds people that by setting realistic goals, we can overcome setbacks in life. Wood will be the main medium in this interactive space because of the warm natural beige colour that can potentially give off a zen feel when the participants enter the space.

These hanging wooden baskets represent different goals in life. The size and shapes of the baskets represent the vibrancy of life. Wooden baskets will be hanging down at different heights representing near and far life goals where some goals are easy to reach and some are harder.

 

Hanging Wooden Baskets to represent goals in life:

The baskets contain various incentives which represent milestones in life. Participants are encouraged to use the unique tool attached underneath the basket to reach up in attempt to pick up something from the basket.

In a way, participants are exhibiting the autonomy to choose and set the goals in their life by selecting the basket to try the activity. With the baskets hanging down and the active action of reaching up, it represents a synergy of effort to strike a balance while pursuing our goals.

After succeeding for a basket, participants are encouraged to try different baskets as life goals should be set continuously, achieving one after another.

 

How to interact!

 

PROCESS: 

Initial Experimentations:

With the idea of life goals, my initial experiments started out with using balloons hanging at different heights instead of ice cream sticks baskets.

The concept of Interactive Space Project:

These balloons represent different goals in life. The colours represent the vibrancy of life together with the desire to strike a balance in everything we do.

 

Balloon Curtain: [Represents the birth of life]

Participants can choose to enter the installation via the balloon curtain. These are long balloons filled with some water to simulate the realistic weight of a curtain.

Hanging Balloons to represent goals in life: [some goals are easy to reach while some are harder]

1) Circular wire meshes with balloons hanging down from it at different heights. The balloons contain different materials in it. For instance: water, beans, flour, foam beads etc. Participants are encouraged to reach up and squeeze the balloons to feel the texture.

Long-Standing Balloons: [Desire to strike a balance and proactively attempting to reach your goal]

2) The floor will be filled with standing long balloons with a weight at the bottom. Participants are encouraged to lift these long balloons and place in under a chosen hanging balloon where the felt texture is preferred.

HOWEVER…….

There are technical issues faced such as balloons bursting suddenly and fast deflations, making the balloon material unsustainable and unsuitable for this project. Hence, upon searching for other suitable materials, I found that popsicle sticks (cheaper wood) may be a possible material for this project.

 

Ice Cream Sticks Journey:

After researching further and thinking about how to express my concept using popsicle sticks, I have decided to make my own popsicle sticks baskets. I used about approximately 2000~ popsicle sticks.

More time was spent thinking about the design and orientation of the sticks than making the basket itself because I need the baskets to have a few characteristics: Uniqueness (different life goals-size/shape), Sturdiness (will be putting in “goals” so it needs to at least withstand the weight when hung), Able to withstand drilling of the base (for hanging). On average, I can make about 1 basket a day or if I am fast in coming up with the design, a maximum of 2 baskets a day. [Each basket requires about 2-3 hrs for gluing.]

As there are 11 baskets in total, I have chosen 2 baskets making sessions to show in the process video along with the making of “goals”- gluing velcro on the wooden balls and sticking velcro on each sweet. The purpose of making glue dots on wooden balls (featured in the last part of the video) is actually to let the dots act as a stopper to prevent the balls from rolling all over ADM if anyone happens to drop them.

After the first few basket making sessions, I realised that it is easy to stick the sticks in the “wrong manner”. As it is a layered structure, it is important to remind and check that the sticks are always in balance. Each individual stick has to rest on the other in a straight line, it cannot be a diagonal top-bottom layer as that will result in a heavily imbalanced structure.

Drilling for hanging: 

    

Putting in the “goals”:

Setting up the basket station for wooden balls and blocks:

Participants are free to take ” incentive goals” with them if they managed to pick them up, e.g. biscuits, jelly, sweets etc. However, if they picked up wooden balls and blocks, they are encouraged to return them at the basket station.

Popsicle Baskets:

 

 

 

 

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1 light bulb: In the middle of the ceiling

10 light bulbs: On one side of the wall in a random manner

100 lightbulbs:  Scattered on the floor with a path for people to walk through the pile of light bulbs

Iconic/ representative of Singapore:

Serving tea and coffee in plastic bags!

        

Recently just in March, LIHO decided to have this promotion showing our unique Singapore culture as well!

This led me to think more about the MAKAN (food) culture in Singapore. Perhaps for our pavilion, we can have a large scale Singapore food map where it promotes the type of food that is popular in that area.

There can also be life-size cushions of this food for people to play with.

For example: cushions of…..

our iconic ice cream sandwich!

Pineapple tart!

Curry Puff

Gem biscuit and Tutu Kueh

etc etc……

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EXPERIENCE 2- VIDEO WALK PROJECT by Clarita, Jake, Ling Ern and Sheryl

Our video walk project is inspired by the Third Paradise from Michelangelo Pistoletto. In our short story, we introduce an alien invasion into ADM where everyone in ADM has disappeared. Bob, the main lead, wakes up to an empty ADM and went on a search for all his friends, only to find out that…..

THE THIRD PARADISE SCRIPT (Clarita, Jake, Ling Ern, Sheryl)

The sound of a drill buzzes through the air. Bob wakes up in the IM classroom, lightheaded, and picks up his phone from the table. “Shit, I fell asleep! What time is it? Ugh, everyone left,” He looks around. The solder and the drill are on the table, still on. “Oh my god Jake u idiot can’t even turn off the 9 drills before you leave,” Bob mutters to himself, as he turns both off. Bob looks down to see Jake’s clothes, and everyone else’s around the room. “Wait, what the…” Bob gets up and accidentally kicks a half-eaten apple, next to a pile of clothing. “Weird.” All around him, laptops and projects were left as if there was some kind of emergency that made people leave them halfway. “God, I’m late for my next class,” Bob shrugs it off and heads out the class.

*Drill, white noise, door beeping sounds*

Bob exits the classroom and speedwalks along a hallowed hallway. Bob feels it’s weird that a Friday afternoon in his school is actually rather quiet. Bob slows down as he walks past a water cooler still refilling a bottle, overflowing onto a pile of clothes. He turns it off wordlessly and looks at the clothes on the floor. Bob arrives at his school lounge only to see laptops without users, again with piles of clothing and bags lying around. There are even unfinished lunch boxes with utensils on the table. He looks around curiously. “The fuck is going on…”

Door beeping sounds, water flowing, white noise, music playing from laptops, microwave sounds

Bob is starting to get wary as he takes the flight of stairs down to the same scene in the lounge, but now, in the basement. All around the green tables, there are belongings left hanging around, projects half done. Bob decides to inspect the area by heading into the locker corridors.

*White noise, faint sounds of the alien invasion documentary*

Bob enters the critique room when he heard sounds playing, thinking they will be someone. “Hello?” Alas, the scene was what seemed like an empty lecture that was going on half ways before everyone suddenly disappeared into midair. The sound coming from a laptop that was playing a documentary of the alien invasion.

Alien invasion documentary, white noise

Bob leaves the critique room and starts to pick up pace. He notices piles of clothing beside open lockers, seemingly actions that are half done. He observes a pile of clothing that looks familiar that’s soaked in coffee. “Heh, isn’t that… Oh god what the fuckkk where is everyone!” Bob starts to panicc “Hello?? HELLO??”

*White noise*

Bob starts to panic and attempts to leave the school to ask for help. All the doors can’t open, until he manages to finally get out through the last door next to the dungeon. “Hey, is anyone here? Help? Someone! HEYY!!!” He looks around anxiously and calls out for help. His brisk walks gradually become a hasty escape towards the route out of school. “What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck” Bob mutters. While on the stairs out, Bob hears a grand sound behind him. “ZEEEEIMMMIZEEEE!”  He turns around and notices the symbol of the Third Paradise, an artwork carved by a famous artist, starting to glow. “Holy shi-” An incredibly bright light from the skies blinded Bob as he drops his phone. The phone lands in a pile of clothing, facing the third paradise. The glow vanishes.

White noise, outdoor sounds, sounds from the water stuff at the sunken plaza.

 

PROCESS:

After discussing the possible story line, we started planning the various possible routes to execute it in ADM including the props needed for the shoot.

On the day itself, we started laying all the props needed at the designated area as well as informing people in ADM along the way before the shoot to get them prepared. We also ran through several trials to grasp the right camera angle that we wanted.

SETTING UP OF PROPS:

IM ROOM:  Prof LP’s clothes with a half bitten apple.

ADM LOUNGE: Open laptops, bags and clothes all around  / Water Cooler with running water

     

BASEMENT 1 OUTSIDE PRODUCT DESIGN WORKSHOP: unfinished works and tools lying around

VENDING MACHINE: clothes on the floor in front of the vending machines and lifts

LOCKERS: Open lockers with belongings dropping out as well as clothes and shoes on the floor

         

EMPTY LECTURE THEATRE:

 

PROF LP trying out our video walk:

 

CHALLENGES:

As our shoot was done on a weekday afternoon and the route stretches from IM room to ADM lounge to the basement and all the way out of ADM, it was quite difficult to manage the crowd. Many reshoots occurred because random people appeared and walked into the shot. To better manage the issue, we split ourselves up into 2 groups: Art Direction and Logistics. We have 4 different roles: Director (following cinematographer), Cinematographer (holding camera), Front Flank (be about 10m head of cinematographer to manage crowd) and Back Flank (to manage props and inform crowd that they are good to go).

Through our trials, by putting ourselves into the perspectives of the viewers, we realised that we cannot pan the camera too widely nor move too quickly as it will be difficult for the viewers to catch up to the pace of the video walk. Moving too quickly will not only confuse the viewers but also disrupt the storyline we wanted to present. Hence, we made appropriate changes in the actual shoot and try to have pauses in between scenes or have a slower transition in location change.

Planning a long route, we are also concerned about the safety of the viewers, especially since we are incorporating 2 stairways into our route. Having that in mind, we intentionally steered the camera nearer to the railings.   

 

GROUP REFLECTION:

  In general, our group wanted to have a sense of anticipation and mystery for the video walk. I think we achieved that to some extent as we tried our best to minimise any human presence in our video together with the narration of the portrayed character. However, we felt that although we spent a lot of thought into setting up the scene with props such as clothes, laptops, bags, unfinished lunch boxes, empty water bottle refilling at the water cooler etc, perhaps we did not place enough focus on them. For instance, the overflowing at the water cooler. We attempted a subtle pause at the area but it may not be very obvious to the viewer. This may lead to them being overlooked. Maybe we could have done a shorter route so that we can focus on certain details a little bit more, creating a greater sense of a change of space for the viewer.

For areas of improvement, we felt that the crowd control can be better managed. Shooting on a weekday gave us the luxury of many other candid props, especially the scene outside the 3D product design rooms but the general crowd in ADM proved to be an issue which hindered our shooting process. Alternatively, we can better plan the time to shoot. For instance, shooting on a weekend will be slightly better than a weekday even though we need to bring more props into the scene ourselves.

 

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MOVING IMAGES:

  1. Moving- Spectre Movie Clip

Perception:

In this clip, the setting of the scene is right at the edge of a building. There is a sense of symmetry of what the viewers can see on the left (below of James Bond) and right. With this composition, the visual element is straight up and very apparent. It also provides anticipation for the viewers when he skips over to another edge quickly. His iconic black suit also gives off a sense of power and mystery. There is also scaling involved where the ratio of James Bond is many times bigger than the people in the background, depicting a high level of contrast.

Architectural and cultural:

In this scene, the city is having a party, seemingly to represent a lot about death. It seems like a norm or an annual cultural event since the majority of the people seems to be participative.  Over here, the choice of setting has a heavy influence on what is about to come next. For instance, the smoky background, Bond walking on the edge of a building, height of the building he is walking on as well. The smoky background gives a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty which links to the scene he is at now- death theme. The architecture around them have a lack of colour, seemingly very dull – when one is near death, lifes start to lose colour. The edge of the building gives up a precarious feel- the edge of death.

This scene gives a sense of immersion since the viewers were given the view of sudden depth into the film. The speed of the blow up was fast and the falling in of the concrete was very sudden. It was a gradual anticipation buildup from the walking scene mentioned earlier, evoking feelings in the viewers.

Observation:

  1. Sense of symmetry
  2. Scale of the background in proportion to the moving human
  3. Balance and Orientation (shifting camera angle)
  4. Environment and architecture choice
  5. Dressing of character
  6. Changing depth of film.

2. Static Images: Framing of the light

Shadow Spaces by Owen Gildersleeve and Stephen Lenthall 

Shadow Spaces is a new personal series that studies the relationship between space, form, light and it’s the natural counterpart, shadow.

They created a series of miniature architectural paper spaces, using light as a map to shape each form.

The structures were built with simple white paper, and each defined by the way they reflected light. This resulted in bold, geometric forms, void of all unnecessary ornamentation. The forms were then further brought to life with a layer of intense light – creating crisp, dramatic shadows. The final effect is a powerful display of capturing light and casting the shadow.

I think this piece allows one to be immersed in it, particularly with the playing of the shadows and light. It also blurs the architectural edges by confusing the viewer on the black and white edges. The shadow seems to enlarge the actual space, having an illusion that tampers with one’s perception of the framing of light.

 

References: 

https://owengildersleeve.com/showcase/shadow-spaces

 

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Participants were given some rope and a golf ball. They were told to move the ball into the container. However, they were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands.

Test 1:

This set of participants realised that they can try to lift the golf ball if the strings are tight and straightened.

There are other methods not explored yet, so we will try to get more participants to try it out.

UPDATE:

We got quite a few more pairs of participants to try out.

For each different try, we also set new criteria and restrictions, including changing the size of the boundaries, offering incentives to pairs who can do it under 3 mins etc.

Final video!