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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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 “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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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