Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Monday, 14 February 2011
Aspects of the project
Methods and Ways
- Communication: verbal, non-verbal, formal and informal: different types
- Public voice as advertising - TMobile train station adverts taken by storm creating a 'buzz'
- Permanent/Moving design e.g. the 'chalk van' (a moving van in which users can draw what they like on it)
- 'Creative research'
Client and Site
newstreetsquare.tumblr.com
- Other people from outside
- New street square monitored by City of London not Land Securities
- Could be a temporary / seasonal design
- New street square pretty much shut down at weekends
- Clientele; mainly people who work in the square
- 25 year contract; restrictions on time
- Surrounding area; MPs, Law firms, all professional level
Users
- Lunchtime business; mainly only workers go into the shops and restaurants during their lunch 1-2pm busiest
- Ashes and Wimbledon were shown at the square attracting 'outsiders', not the World Cup as they didn't want to attract the 'wrong' crowd
- Very few people go to the shops during the evening
Modelling and Environment
- Shadows / lighting / seasons
- Digimaps
- Floor plans
- Consider number of people possible for a performance
Previous Work
- Rafael Lozano Hemmer; interactive art for the public, projections onto buildings
- Troika
- "Fourth Plinth"; public make a voice, creating a community
- "Greyworld"; a group of artists together
- Flash mobs
- Look into how the 'public voice' designs were created, why they were created, what the campaigns were behind them
- The implementation and principles behind the designs
History; Locations and Public Voice
- Dr Johnson's House
- Royal Court of Justice
- Lincoln Inn Fields
- The inns of the Chancery
- Charles Dickens and many others who died in Holborn nearby
- UK political voices
- Platform for new users / existing users of a public voice
- Communication: verbal, non-verbal, formal and informal: different types
- Public voice as advertising - TMobile train station adverts taken by storm creating a 'buzz'
- Permanent/Moving design e.g. the 'chalk van' (a moving van in which users can draw what they like on it)
- 'Creative research'
Client and Site
newstreetsquare.tumblr.com
- Other people from outside
- New street square monitored by City of London not Land Securities
- Could be a temporary / seasonal design
- New street square pretty much shut down at weekends
- Clientele; mainly people who work in the square
- 25 year contract; restrictions on time
- Surrounding area; MPs, Law firms, all professional level
Users
- Lunchtime business; mainly only workers go into the shops and restaurants during their lunch 1-2pm busiest
- Ashes and Wimbledon were shown at the square attracting 'outsiders', not the World Cup as they didn't want to attract the 'wrong' crowd
- Very few people go to the shops during the evening
Modelling and Environment
- Shadows / lighting / seasons
- Digimaps
- Floor plans
- Consider number of people possible for a performance
Previous Work
- Rafael Lozano Hemmer; interactive art for the public, projections onto buildings
- Troika
- "Fourth Plinth"; public make a voice, creating a community
- "Greyworld"; a group of artists together
- Flash mobs
- Look into how the 'public voice' designs were created, why they were created, what the campaigns were behind them
- The implementation and principles behind the designs
History; Locations and Public Voice
- Dr Johnson's House
- Royal Court of Justice
- Lincoln Inn Fields
- The inns of the Chancery
- Charles Dickens and many others who died in Holborn nearby
- UK political voices
- Platform for new users / existing users of a public voice
In search of a Public Voice
Context of the site
- Surrounded by important points of interest including; Gough Square, Dr Johnson’s House, The Fleet Street Conservation Area, Holborn Circus and network of alleyways that characterise the area
Dr Johnson’s House
- One of the few residential houses of its age still surviving in the City of London
- Johnson lived in the house 1948 – 1959 and compiled his famous “A Dictionary of the English Language’
- Was a home and workplace for Samuel Johnson
- Now restored to its original condition containing panelled rooms, pine staircase, period furniture, prints and portraits
- Is found among a maze of courtyards and passages that are a reminder of historic London
- The house figures prominently in the 1946 Sherlock Holmes film “Dressed to Kill”
Troika SMS Guerilla Projector
- A home made device that enables a user to project text based SMS messages onto public spaces, in streets, onto people, inside cinemas, shops, houses etc.
- Display messages
- Share reflections
- During a “Streets” concert
- Relaying a message and seeing the public react
-
Greyworld
- Collective of London based artists who are interested in public-activated art, sculpture and interactive installations
- “The Source” (2004) is their most celebrated piece so far – a permanent installation for the new London Stock Exchange
- A cube of 9x9x9 spherical balls are suspended on cables
- Controlled by a computer running Python scripts which can move themselves independently of each other, forming dynamic shapes and motions
- Throughout the day the sculpture responds to news feeds, displaying snap shots of the current headlines
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Urban Voice
There's been a couple of interesting design/art projects over the years that sparked the great deal of interest in field of "public voice". I've checked a couple of them out, watched the media and started dissecting it, trying to find out the key points that drawn the curious audience in. It might help our cause, knowing what made them spark and if there's a way of incorporating it.
Urban Speaker
[ Official Website ]
First, the project by Carlos J. Gomez. Urban Speaker is a temporary installation, composed of cellular network-connected recording machine and a loudspeaker on a pole. By calling phone number printed on the pole, one can leave up to 60 seconds of audio material, which will then be played back on the loudspeaker.
Device based on the idea on public broadcasting. Much like the greek Agora, it gives one the ability to speak in public while simultaneously concealing one's identity by allowing the speech to be remote. Voice of single unit, put in public space, with the intention of being noticed by as many people as possible. Just like public speech, this sort of communication is largely one-sided, moreso if the speaker can't observe the reactions.
Part of its success might be its cryptic, challenging nature. The device provides no explanation at all, playing seemingly random recordings. Only when the audience starts calling the number and hearing their own voice being broadcast, the purpose of device becomes clear.
It's also mobile and self-contained - the connection is via cellular network, the power is through the batteries and the whole construction is essentially a coat hanger wired around. It can be deployed in minutes and removed as quickly. Due to its mobility, it hasn't been designed to fit visually into any environment - the fact that it's sticking out, it doesn't fit is one of the factors that make people notice the whole thing.
Urballoon
[ Official Website ]
Another one by Carlos J Gomez, Urballoon is a video projector, held aloft by a helium-filled balloon. The projector itself, powered either by batteries or via a nearby electric socket, is fitted with the wireless network connection (of cellular kind) and it uses it to systematically check on the text and pictures uploaded to Urballoon website, which it then projects as a slideshow onto... Well, whatever's below the balloon.
This project, like the previous, seems to follow the same notions. It's highly mobile (hell, with a remote control, you don't even need to use anything to transport it, it just... flies), requires almost no effort in deployment, and is pretty much self-contained.
Also, the giant white balloon in the middle of the city. It's safe to assume there's not a lot of cities in the world in which such sight is common. Thus, the audience is gained by pure curiosity.
SMS Guerilla
http://troika.uk.com/thetoolforarmchairactivists
http://troika.uk.com/node/44
Guerilla SMS display is, pretty much, the Urballoon without the balloon. Displays all the text messages you send to it. As for the notes and comments, check the previous two. Seems like this particular trend is a sure-fire way to get noticed.
One & Other
Gormley's Website
Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square has become a scene for volunteering people. One person per hour, 100 days straight - 2,400 people posing like sculptures or acting like theatre. Applications were being posted online. Once volunteer receives a confirmation, they are to be at Trafalgar Square at specified date & time. On-site crew helps with the transit on and off the plinth. An hour-long act ensues.
Still based on the idea of broadcasting, this one involves people much more directly, since they're actually required to be on-site, presenting in front of giant audience. That gives the opportunity for the message to be much more direct and personal, even though the audience is still largely random.
One & Other challenges the usual image of Trafalgar Square as the serious place when the only movement you can see is transit. Public performers are not particularly uncommon in London, never before have they been given a scene similar to the Fourth Plinth. A 100-day theatre, held in what can be considered one of the essential spots in London.
ACCESS
[ Official Website ]
ACCESS is an interactive installation placed in an indoor environment. It utilizes a remotely operated high-intensity spotlight coupled with computer vision software to track and iluminate individuals present in the affected area. Once an individual is selected through a web interface, the spotlight keeps track of him / her for as long as they are present in the area, following them around.
While not strictly a "public voice"-themed design, it strikes me as a smaller and slightly more subtle version of One & Other by Anthony Gormley. This one, in opposition to the other projects I've surveyed, is not a self-sufficient device. A complex installation that aims to seamlessly meld into its destination needs more planning than the other ones, but the effect is quite impressive.
ACCESS only takes care of the first step in voicing one's opinion - getting people's attention, but it does it well. The spotlight "nominates" the selected person to be the performer. And wheres some just scoot away, shy and not keen on attention, others utilize the spotlight to express themselves. Again, project implies absolutely nothing about the expression itself. It simply selects the individual and, by play of lights, gives him the voice to be heard.
L.A.S.E.R. Tag
Graffiti Research Lab
Laser-based long distance projector coupled with the drawing utility. Once the device is set up to project onto a surface (which, due to the whole thing being based on lasers, might me FAR away), one can use the drawing utility, a compact laser pointer linked with the projector, to "draw" on the surface. Projector detects the movement of the drawing utility and displays new shapes on the surface.
Once again, a project based on the idea of broadcasting, this time taken to quite the spanning level. L.A.S.E.R. Tag takes the core principles of grafitti as form of expression, strips it off its "vandalism" hue (since permanent changes are introduced to the canvas at any point) and gives out the extreme ease of use by allowing people to paint all over the entire buildings without moving from one spot.
Again, the project is aiming to be highly mobile and self-contained - it's usable essentially everywhere. The notion of disrupting the public space to get the message across is carried over from the actual tagging quite nicely, but since the results are just a trick of light and not actual paint, audience might be involved much easier - no actual vandalism is commited.
Telephone Trottoire
[ Official Website ]
Mediashed
Essentially, a telephone version of a forum / discussion board / reddit. Phone numbers of the participants are kept within the database of the central, automated phoning system. At random, the system will call a person from the database and play back a pre-recorder piece of news, article or simple gossip to the listener. After the audio is done, listener has the possibility of recording his own commentary to the piece, listen to the comments added by other users or recommend the story to a friend, by dialing in his number. The system will then call the friend, play the story and offer the possibility of joining in.
The idea with its roots deep within the digital space that tries to drop the technology requirements one notch down, thus engaging the less technically capable audience. Moreover, unlike the internet message boards, which are, in their nature, passive (as in, they require the user to explicitely pay attention and take action), this iteration of the message board idea aims to take the first step, engage the user rather than have the user engage.
Telectroscope
[ Official Website ]
Two Victorian / steam-punk contraptions are placed in London and New York. They are, essentially, webcam-display composites in giant casings, but the key point lies in the story made up around the devices. Instead of digital transmission, one can see, from one device to the other, via a tunnel drilled through the Earth crust straight from one point to another. The work on the tunnel started approximately 100 years ago.
Again, even though the technology behind the devices and its purpose, that is displaying the other end, is mundane by today's standards, what makes it so popular is how it does not fit. A piece of Victorian design and technology, thrown suddenly in the middle of modern, XIX century city, that mimicks the digital technology with pure outrageousness.
Urban Speaker
[ Official Website ]
First, the project by Carlos J. Gomez. Urban Speaker is a temporary installation, composed of cellular network-connected recording machine and a loudspeaker on a pole. By calling phone number printed on the pole, one can leave up to 60 seconds of audio material, which will then be played back on the loudspeaker.
Device based on the idea on public broadcasting. Much like the greek Agora, it gives one the ability to speak in public while simultaneously concealing one's identity by allowing the speech to be remote. Voice of single unit, put in public space, with the intention of being noticed by as many people as possible. Just like public speech, this sort of communication is largely one-sided, moreso if the speaker can't observe the reactions.
Part of its success might be its cryptic, challenging nature. The device provides no explanation at all, playing seemingly random recordings. Only when the audience starts calling the number and hearing their own voice being broadcast, the purpose of device becomes clear.
It's also mobile and self-contained - the connection is via cellular network, the power is through the batteries and the whole construction is essentially a coat hanger wired around. It can be deployed in minutes and removed as quickly. Due to its mobility, it hasn't been designed to fit visually into any environment - the fact that it's sticking out, it doesn't fit is one of the factors that make people notice the whole thing.
Urballoon
[ Official Website ]
Another one by Carlos J Gomez, Urballoon is a video projector, held aloft by a helium-filled balloon. The projector itself, powered either by batteries or via a nearby electric socket, is fitted with the wireless network connection (of cellular kind) and it uses it to systematically check on the text and pictures uploaded to Urballoon website, which it then projects as a slideshow onto... Well, whatever's below the balloon.
This project, like the previous, seems to follow the same notions. It's highly mobile (hell, with a remote control, you don't even need to use anything to transport it, it just... flies), requires almost no effort in deployment, and is pretty much self-contained.
Also, the giant white balloon in the middle of the city. It's safe to assume there's not a lot of cities in the world in which such sight is common. Thus, the audience is gained by pure curiosity.
SMS Guerilla
http://troika.uk.com/thetoolforarmchairactivists
http://troika.uk.com/node/44
Guerilla SMS display is, pretty much, the Urballoon without the balloon. Displays all the text messages you send to it. As for the notes and comments, check the previous two. Seems like this particular trend is a sure-fire way to get noticed.
One & Other
Gormley's Website
Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square has become a scene for volunteering people. One person per hour, 100 days straight - 2,400 people posing like sculptures or acting like theatre. Applications were being posted online. Once volunteer receives a confirmation, they are to be at Trafalgar Square at specified date & time. On-site crew helps with the transit on and off the plinth. An hour-long act ensues.
Still based on the idea of broadcasting, this one involves people much more directly, since they're actually required to be on-site, presenting in front of giant audience. That gives the opportunity for the message to be much more direct and personal, even though the audience is still largely random.
One & Other challenges the usual image of Trafalgar Square as the serious place when the only movement you can see is transit. Public performers are not particularly uncommon in London, never before have they been given a scene similar to the Fourth Plinth. A 100-day theatre, held in what can be considered one of the essential spots in London.
ACCESS
[ Official Website ]
ACCESS is an interactive installation placed in an indoor environment. It utilizes a remotely operated high-intensity spotlight coupled with computer vision software to track and iluminate individuals present in the affected area. Once an individual is selected through a web interface, the spotlight keeps track of him / her for as long as they are present in the area, following them around.
While not strictly a "public voice"-themed design, it strikes me as a smaller and slightly more subtle version of One & Other by Anthony Gormley. This one, in opposition to the other projects I've surveyed, is not a self-sufficient device. A complex installation that aims to seamlessly meld into its destination needs more planning than the other ones, but the effect is quite impressive.
ACCESS only takes care of the first step in voicing one's opinion - getting people's attention, but it does it well. The spotlight "nominates" the selected person to be the performer. And wheres some just scoot away, shy and not keen on attention, others utilize the spotlight to express themselves. Again, project implies absolutely nothing about the expression itself. It simply selects the individual and, by play of lights, gives him the voice to be heard.
L.A.S.E.R. Tag
Graffiti Research Lab
Laser-based long distance projector coupled with the drawing utility. Once the device is set up to project onto a surface (which, due to the whole thing being based on lasers, might me FAR away), one can use the drawing utility, a compact laser pointer linked with the projector, to "draw" on the surface. Projector detects the movement of the drawing utility and displays new shapes on the surface.
Once again, a project based on the idea of broadcasting, this time taken to quite the spanning level. L.A.S.E.R. Tag takes the core principles of grafitti as form of expression, strips it off its "vandalism" hue (since permanent changes are introduced to the canvas at any point) and gives out the extreme ease of use by allowing people to paint all over the entire buildings without moving from one spot.
Again, the project is aiming to be highly mobile and self-contained - it's usable essentially everywhere. The notion of disrupting the public space to get the message across is carried over from the actual tagging quite nicely, but since the results are just a trick of light and not actual paint, audience might be involved much easier - no actual vandalism is commited.
Telephone Trottoire
[ Official Website ]
Mediashed
Essentially, a telephone version of a forum / discussion board / reddit. Phone numbers of the participants are kept within the database of the central, automated phoning system. At random, the system will call a person from the database and play back a pre-recorder piece of news, article or simple gossip to the listener. After the audio is done, listener has the possibility of recording his own commentary to the piece, listen to the comments added by other users or recommend the story to a friend, by dialing in his number. The system will then call the friend, play the story and offer the possibility of joining in.
The idea with its roots deep within the digital space that tries to drop the technology requirements one notch down, thus engaging the less technically capable audience. Moreover, unlike the internet message boards, which are, in their nature, passive (as in, they require the user to explicitely pay attention and take action), this iteration of the message board idea aims to take the first step, engage the user rather than have the user engage.
Telectroscope
[ Official Website ]
Two Victorian / steam-punk contraptions are placed in London and New York. They are, essentially, webcam-display composites in giant casings, but the key point lies in the story made up around the devices. Instead of digital transmission, one can see, from one device to the other, via a tunnel drilled through the Earth crust straight from one point to another. The work on the tunnel started approximately 100 years ago.
Again, even though the technology behind the devices and its purpose, that is displaying the other end, is mundane by today's standards, what makes it so popular is how it does not fit. A piece of Victorian design and technology, thrown suddenly in the middle of modern, XIX century city, that mimicks the digital technology with pure outrageousness.
Friday, 11 February 2011
Research and Ideation Work: Siobhan
I came up with a few ideas which were inspired by three different means of conveying information: textual, visual and audio.
1. the 'bands': textual
anyone can take a special wristbands from a central part of the space (a podium). you can then go and sit wherever you desire. A red laser follows you (tracked and originating at the podium which informs viewers who is involved). You can then send messages by texting the number on the band (or by having a keyboard directly on the band) which will then be sent to the podium and projected along you laser path (onto the floor and then onto you OR onto a wall).
2. visual: 'word waterfall'
inspired by the existing water feature
a. you write words on little pieces of paper (face up) and place them on small discs of ice at one end of the water feature. the ice eventually melts, sending the words along their way across the feature.
b. you type word into a keyboard at one end of the feature. then, the words from a previous person are 'released' and are projected along the feature as if caught in the current.
3. 'audiotone': audio
inspired by automatic poetry (discovered in my research into rafael lozano).
a. you type random words or sentence fragments into a PC
this is made sense of by an automatic poetry generator
a poem version is read out by a screen reader AND/OR projected onto the walls
b. you type a message into a PC
the words are made sense of by an automatic poetry generator
it is fed into a screen reader THEN put into an auto-tuner which inserts tonal differences and turns it into a song
it is then played out loud
you can view the full post here: http://year2term2industryproject.blogspot.com/
This was all inspired by my research into Rafael Lonzano-Hemmer which you can view here: http://year2term2industryproject.blogspot.com/2011/02/rafael-lonzano-hemmer.html
1. the 'bands': textual
anyone can take a special wristbands from a central part of the space (a podium). you can then go and sit wherever you desire. A red laser follows you (tracked and originating at the podium which informs viewers who is involved). You can then send messages by texting the number on the band (or by having a keyboard directly on the band) which will then be sent to the podium and projected along you laser path (onto the floor and then onto you OR onto a wall).
2. visual: 'word waterfall'
inspired by the existing water feature
a. you write words on little pieces of paper (face up) and place them on small discs of ice at one end of the water feature. the ice eventually melts, sending the words along their way across the feature.
b. you type word into a keyboard at one end of the feature. then, the words from a previous person are 'released' and are projected along the feature as if caught in the current.
3. 'audiotone': audio
inspired by automatic poetry (discovered in my research into rafael lozano).
a. you type random words or sentence fragments into a PC
this is made sense of by an automatic poetry generator
a poem version is read out by a screen reader AND/OR projected onto the walls
b. you type a message into a PC
the words are made sense of by an automatic poetry generator
it is fed into a screen reader THEN put into an auto-tuner which inserts tonal differences and turns it into a song
it is then played out loud
you can view the full post here: http://year2term2industryproject.blogspot.com/
This was all inspired by my research into Rafael Lonzano-Hemmer which you can view here: http://year2term2industryproject.blogspot.com/2011/02/rafael-lonzano-hemmer.html
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