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Smoking Desk evaluation

{ June 22, 2008 @ 2:11 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Wow what a crazy week!

So much to say + so exhausted + so much to do before I leave on Wednesday!!!

O.k., so about the smoking desk. Am so happy and thankful that I was able to run through the process of trying to find a type of interface to watch media/interact with my work before I head back to Uganda. My instinct about the desk seemed to have worked and Ryan was a great partner to work it out with. The physicality of the object (+ it’s smell!) worked on a couple of different levels. I really liked that people had to literally come into the object to interact with the work. I also liked the added feature that you had to “work” by keeping the desk open to view the piece. Mark Laurie had a good point about that in the crit- + I’m thinking of ways to further explore this aspect + make it more effective and perhaps more obviously reflexive for the viewer/participant.

Top ten things I learnt:

One: Destroy the object more gently! If the mechanics (ie: the hinge of the desk) is integral to viewing the work (as in tripping play etc…), do be careful not to ruin that integral function by weathering/burning, what not…

Two: Dry Ice is not the effect I need for smoke. It requires constant replenishing + the smoke sinks to the ground. More mist on lake effect, not smoke. In open space, smoke machine would work better. Note to self to test in outdoor location + acquire relevant permits from the Fire Department.

Three: Self-reflection can be done, but needn’t be with a mirror within the actual object interface. The mirror idea was not working because of the angle of the desk, but I’m not sure it is necessary there either. I thought perhaps leaving the desk dirty, so people’s hands would get dirty might be an interesting way to achieve the same effect. I know people have also mentioned the “filming the viewer” idea + projecting that back…but I’m not sure I want to go there. My instinct so far is to keep things as lo-tech as possible, or as “seemingly” lo-tech as possible by hiding it!!!

Four: The testimonial notes work. An idea for my thesis was to get local grade 8 students (they have a connection with GuluWalk) to dress up as child soldiers and pass notes from children in Northern Uganda to passers-by in the square during my presentation. I will pursue this and ask one of the classes at the camp this summer to write testimonial notes that can be used for this purpose. Perhaps it will not be performative, but I will surely use it in some way.

Five: Wireless is good. I really liked that there were no wires emanating from the desk. As object, I would like to keep the technology as hidden as possible to evoke more of a sense of place. The challenge for my thesis will be how to power up on a continual basis for 48 hours. Perhaps solar panels? Perhaps need to recharge in the night.

Six: Also need to figure out a way to get tripping contacts more secure + fool proof. Or perhaps lose the idea + go with loops. But, different narrative structures with loops- Need to think more about this. A loop would be ideal, so no tripping necessary + less technology. The hacking/tech part is fun, but I’m not sure it’s so relevant for the type of interaction I’m looking for. But loop would need to be very short. Also need to evolve the inside of the desk. In the end, I liked the small screen…need to sink it into something _ cover with plexi for weather conditions. Knowing that I like the small screen is helpful for thinking about the kind of images I need.

Seven: Sound is key. I liked that the voice bekons to you. I believe that sound will probably be the “activator” when it comes to these video “pods”- what makes you open etc… Good to know that as well before I record/document this summer.

Eight: Chalk is my friend. We chalked our invitation outside the school. I like the idea of using objects/tools that are conceptually relevant to my topic. Chalk/children. I think it is another interesting idea of tapping into people’s own experiences and creating links there. I will dedicate time at the end of my trip to searching for objects/tools that I can utilize for my thesis as possible interfaces…

Nine: I love working with tools. From the desk burning to the remote control hacking, it was great to get physical..

Ten: New Media class rocks!

The Smoking Desk

{ June 17, 2008 @ 4:40 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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So, Ryan and I are working on our project for class. The original idea was to explore how I can present different video pieces within a public space in looking towards my thesis project next year. I envisioned sort of “pods”, that people needed to interact with. The interaction component came out of my research this year, as I was looking into the effectivity of witnessing in today’s consumer culture; how to break through the mass wash of imagery that supports self-interest and indulgence in support of our current system. So, interactivity was a means to break through that-embodied witnessing. There are other components as well, such as allegory, use of public space + networks, but for the sake of this project, interactivity was key. I was pretty sure that I was interested in super low tech interactivity. Mechanical or electrical at the extreme. I didn’t want the piece to stray too far from the culture (Northern Uganda) that I was presenting. Steve was talking quite a bit about considering the object as a means of interface. This opened up a certain sculptural element to the work- how the object can have an additional impact on the participant/viewer.

So, the children’s lift-top desk sprung to mind. Paired with content about child soldiers, I thought that a damaged child’s desk would instantly effect the viewer/participant. Video would be inside + triggered by the lifting of the top. I thought of a mirror placed on the inside top of the desk lid- just to offer a moment of consideration of oneself in relation to the material presented.- trying to connect ourselves to the system in which this occurs…

Steve had a good suggestion about keeping the audio play all the time on a loop- so that on approach, there is a curiosity about what is in the desk. only problem is the non-synching with picture. Ryan had a good idea of minimizing the incongruence- we chose images of children’s drawings and simply subtitled the voice that is playing in a loop. Sort of solved- only issue is that the drawings do not directly correspond with the narrative voice in the subtitles…

That being said, it is really good for me to consider these things before I shoot- Foreign language/subtitle issues will considerable affect the video pieces + interfaces that I present- it is a great conceptual + physical testing ground!

Allright, the first desk burning was great. Ryan organized for us to work at his friend’s vespa shop(!) + the event turned into a community bbq- interestingly, the conversations revolved around (not always, but sometimes), child soldiers, interfaces and art.

Allright, more on the evolution of this soon…

Uganda News

{ June 14, 2008 @ 2:44 am } · { Uncategorized }
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On a different note, the ceasefire in Northern Uganda is in the middle of collapsing. There has been a ceasefire since July of 2006 with a concerted effort at peace negotiations, but that is changing.

When I was there over Christmas time, it was a relief to see people finally returning to their land after years of being holed up in Internal Displacement Camps. In 2006, there were 1.8 million people living in these camps without access to life’s basic necessities. There are still over 1 million stuck in the camps- that is what my project this summer is about- But now, with the potential of renewed conflict, I just think of the newly returned and wonder if they will be forced once again into the camps. Camp life and a 22 year conflict has taken a serious toll, not only in costing lives (in 2006, over 1000 people were dying in the camps every week), but also on the Acholi culture as a whole.

performativity, digital storytelling and web 2.0

{ June 14, 2008 @ 2:30 am } · { Uncategorized }
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o.k., so it’s really bizarre that most of the things I am reading and learning for this class is manifesting itself in my not-too distant future life. Although I will not have complete control over how our blog is ”packaged”- that’s GuluWalk’s job-it is interesting to think about the story we will be able to tell- in real time- of our experience in Padibe IDP Camp.  Blog-style, with video + pics…3 elements to tell a story, keep a narrative going for a month…what kinds of video, pics in that situation, in this format…for which purposes? Then performativity sneaks back in (Alex’s mag suggestion), and another element comes into play. It is, of course, an obvious element…Andrea and I are using our bodies to speak to this situation- the experience is performative in nature- + we are trying to use that to focus people’s attention- of course, it’s pathetic that it takes 2 white girls for 1 month in an IDP camp, when, in Northern Uganda alone, there are over 1 million who have been living there for years and years! But…that’s just one of the many paradoxes and complexities involved in communications in the “Western world”. It is interesting that this performativity, then, in addition to being an asset to transparent research and experience, also serves to “dupe” the public in certain ways. But…don’t get me started on our so called “Western world”, our communications systems and needing to dupe the public into giving attention to something beyond our consumer culture….aaargh, this is all up there with the UN, World Bank and plenty of other bureaucracies that merely serve the status quo….o.k., o.k, save it for the “summercamp” blog, i know…

 

 

Help? Too many options in Web 2.0

{ June 13, 2008 @ 6:12 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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So this whole Web 2.0 in introduction was super well timed. In 2 weeks I will be in an Internally Displaced Person’s Camp in Northern Uganda, blogging every other day about my experiences there as an activist tool in conjunction with GuluWalk (http:///www.guluwalk.com). o.k., lots to talk about there- but first, I need somer advice on how to manage the video/photo output from the camp up onto the blog. I need the simplest upload because I will not be doing it. I need to train a local to do it, so simplicity must be key. That being said, pics aren’t a problem, it’s more the video. Any advice?

Second Life

{ June 9, 2008 @ 2:27 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Oy, as if one wasn’t enough to keep me busy, engaged and working hard!

But seriously, the first experiences were very interesting.

I did not find it odd to have an avatar- in a sense we all choose what to wear + how our hair should be every day. How to represent ourselves is ongoing in first life as well. The choices are greater in second life, but I the time it takes to make me presentable in real life is quite enough for now! It seems to take a lot of time and I guess I am too impatient…I just want to start exploring! Perhaps because I have never played computer games and am generally not drawn to experiences in that range, i did not have so much patience to wander around.

The experience is class was fun though because we were all there (in class) and also in Second Life. There was something surprising about the thrill of “seeing” classmates in another space and interacting, all the while interacting and seeing them in first life reality.

I can see the potential of a virtual space like second life in terms of it being a different medium in which to create and present work. I just don’t see it for myself right now. Perhaps because of my disinterest in spending so much time on my computer (I even shoot slide film and find photoshop tedious). But…things change and while I explore different media in this program, it is an interesting route to be exposed to.

On virtual presentation spaces

{ May 29, 2008 @ 4:26 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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I’ve had a website for about 3 years now (+ sadly I have not modified it in 3 years, but will be getting on top of that by September!). A couple of things- the website had helped spread my photos + my message far around the world. The emails I received from people who had viewed the work gave me both optimism that some people were touched by my work and other opportunities to present the work.

I had more photos available on the site than when I had formal exhibitions. I did have lengthy caption, as with the show, but categorized the photos into sections of concern. A plus was links to organizations to find out/do more.

The website was substantially different than the show and functioned exactly how I had hoped. The non-linear delivery seemed to not affect my message. Perhaps because of the lengthy captions!

That being said, I was frustrated because I could not easily modify the site (as the 3 years attests to!). The 2.0 Web stuff has opened up substantially different opportunities for my work. It does help that I already have organizations and people (networks) who link to my work.

Without these already established links, the spread of the work would not be as quick and far if I had to start over with no established network. However, the potential to now grow these networks are vast.

Now that we are thinking about the web as a presentation space with different characteristics, I would like to create work on the web that takes full advantage of these qualities: non-linearity, randomness, viewer creation…

As to this blog, well, I have not linked it to my old site, nor sent the link to my network as of yet.

I did, however, post the video project from last semester’s class on you tube (with Estelle) about 1.5 months ago. That has been interesting- again, the effect could be maximized with linking the video to my network. The major thing to consider in that case is the size of the work. It is different viewing a postcard size film (or photos) than viewing whole screen (or 11X14 prints).

I do like the lack of control I exert over where, when and how people view the work. I would just like to consider these things and build in an awareness of them when viewing the work itself. I think that there are potentials to then deliver different kinds of messages that rely not only on content, but on context and materials as well.

Effective Witnessing

{ May 23, 2008 @ 6:55 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Allright, I forgot to mention. A large part of my concern is the effectiveness of witnessing, through documentary practice. By witnessing I mean the epistemological process of learning about our world + wanted to improve it as a result. But, that doesn’t really function anymore, if it ever did. For many reasons.

One of my thoughts in my thesis proposal was to re-engage viewers into active witnessing, and therefore active participation, through “haptic address”. Wednesday’s class was really interesting because it explored a lot of ideas that I was contemplating at the end of last semester.

Nouns to Verbs – Viewer to Participant. I think that these are key concepts if we want documentary to engage the public, and enable political and response-able dialogue and action.

By the way, do you know that 97.5 million voted on American Idol last week?

Non-linear

{ May 23, 2008 @ 6:30 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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So, I thought about my non-linear project like this: How can the idea of non-linearity tie into my concerns about our system that incorporates genocide and conflict?

I decided that the non-linear concept was perfect because despite the “Never Again” statement, it keeps happening, again and again, in seemingly unrelated places and times. Perhaps the “random” selection would provoke thoughts about the genocides’ relations to eachother and ourselves, and our system. And questions…

Instead of image clips, I decided to simply write in white text on a black background the following words:

BOSNIA, RWANDA, DARFUR, CAMBODIA

By not including images, i wanted the viewer to become more involved by accessing their own images concerning these genocides. As well, 12 seconds of just staring at the word will hopefully produce some uncomfortable interior probings.

Ponderings

{ May 14, 2008 @ 10:33 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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“New Media is networks” -from class

networks- systems- how they interact? I’m concerned with the system that produces conflict, atrocities, genocides…a system we all live in. Exposing that, or cultivating knowledge around that subject + how to instill a sense of response-ability for that. applied to my practice, my thesis work- looks at internal displacement, conflict as part of our transnational system…we are all part of the system…we get the good end; results and benefits of the same system. What are the components of the system- economic? others?

Response-ability through interactivity. Embodied participation in creating knowledge and awareness. How systems and that conceptual line can be tied to form + content?

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