Brainstorming

So far from a one class perspective I am genuinely interested in this course and creating something that (as is the focus of most of my work) makes people think. Over the course of the last few years I have dealt with issues concerning aspects of environmentalism, rape, the holocaust, sports, cognitive science in relation to space, music and other topics.

Bruce Sterling’s Siggraph keynote, “When Blogjects Rule the Earth” was interesting in the sense that it did not preach environmentalism in a way that others may have been dreading, but moreover gave the audience the basic formula in understanding what the essence of an object is within the industry/economic society of today. I understood the lecture to underlyingly advise people to ask themselves questions concerning the things they do and buy in their field or in daily life (perhaps I am wrong in this understanding?). I also understood Siggraph to have appointed Sterling as a keynote lecturer to represent, as well, the organization’s environmental awareness. (See Paul Hawkin’s “The Ecology of Commerce”, which goes into detail about the realities of environmental and human degradation. It also explains the need for the economic sector to exist and its need to coexist with the world).

However, what I am really trying to say is that my focus on environmentalism as a project will have to be discarded this semester in an attempt to grow in other directions. My cart 452 project will already focus on basic human psychology in relation to the crazy eight. For this class, I have not yet finishing brainstorming for what I would consider a fully developed (or good) idea.

I am interested in choosing as a location a church, since they are often only open during specified hours, and mostly require a donation upon entering the cathedral. As an undeveloped concept, I have an urge to play with the politics of religion. Example: It would be interesting to project the image in a somewhat three dimensional visual, of a man or a woman of a different culture and religion seated beside an actual person (praying or simply seated). It is their reaction I would be interested in, as the visual would give them nothing but love and energy.

Or perhaps I would like to reflect on the victims or result of missionary infiltrations of what was a natural way of life? I am still undecided, but I am interested in the idea of using a space to infiltrate someone else’s space on a personal level; a disruption of personal space both physically and mentally. I am interested in playing with reactions to culture-skin color, religion and sex. What if there was a prostitute praying beside you? Racism and prejudice, among others, will surely rise. Will it stay internal or show in body language or vocally? I would be interested in filming the development of human reaction towards this.

I also had another, again undeveloped idea of using a shopping mall as my space. When entering the mall, every human would be boxed with a holographic rectangle. They can see through it, and they can even wave their arms and legs through it. The box, however, will remain at a length of which they can never leave it, rid themselves of it or free themselves of it. Everyone will be boxed, while all objects (or blobjects? animals and architecture will be free of this encadrement. But the statement remains simplistic, as it is a commentary on the structure of society and our roles as corporate yuppies, or slaves to society. Sheep, essentially. It will comment on ignorance, or want to ignore or naivety of the reality that surrounds us…

So far, this is all I have come up with. Hopefully more to come before the next class (or a more developed concept from these options.

Carina.

~ by gendront on January 9, 2008.