Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Have been working on various ways to illustrate Modern and Post Modern theories about Utopia, here is one of my concepts.
This one has 2 sides/ "rooms" juxtaposed against each other. The Modernist conception is more exclusionary, and I was thinking about the possibility of having a door that could only be opened with keys that are distributed in locations, or given to selected people. Only those with a key can access this version of Utopia, which reinforces some of the early ideas about Utopia by Plato etc as being a place where only those of superior intellect as defined by "Philosopher Kings" could reside.
The Post-Modern side/room is more open, with a window frame but no glass etc stopping one from accessing the inner space through it. The floor of this one would be textural in some sense-possibly foam-like. Having entered the space, one would be expected to don a garment or wear some kind of designed symbol of the space (have yet to come up with what exactly this would be), and leave some kind of mark or sign that they had been there. The work in this sense is in development through the time of its duration in a space. This is intended to represent the communal aspect of utopian thought, but recognising the different identities of the visitors by the mark they leave. In this aspect I hope to illustrate some of the ideals of Signals gallery in London in the 60s, that of "providing a forum for all those who believe passionately in the co-relation of the arts and Art's imaginative integration with technology, science, architecture and our entire environment"(Isobel Whitelegg, Oiticica in London, 2007).
In this sense too, it will hopefully embody "didatic exposition and imaginative freedom" (Wells).
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Thinking through design: A quest for Utopia through Installation Design
Now that I've narrowed the focus of my research, the results have been a lot more
fruitful.
There appears to be a wealth of contemporary examples of designed installation space and interactive community installations that seek in some way to explore this theme.
These can be explicit, in their naming and imagery, such as with Helen Kontouris's
Zoie Utoipa installation, or more loosely dream-like. Phillip Beesley's Hylozoic ground,
in a way, theorises what living with responsive digital systems that can live autonomously
and produce life might be like, and produces with it a future-based scenario that does
not embody a nihilistic view of technology, but instead proffers a vision of a world that
operates in an integrated harmony.
fruitful.
There appears to be a wealth of contemporary examples of designed installation space and interactive community installations that seek in some way to explore this theme.
These can be explicit, in their naming and imagery, such as with Helen Kontouris's
Zoie Utoipa installation, or more loosely dream-like. Phillip Beesley's Hylozoic ground,
in a way, theorises what living with responsive digital systems that can live autonomously
and produce life might be like, and produces with it a future-based scenario that does
not embody a nihilistic view of technology, but instead proffers a vision of a world that
operates in an integrated harmony.
Zoie Utopia
http://howwecreate.com/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=656266
Installation exploring notions of Utopia by Australian designer Helen Kontouris.
The work incorporates aspects of plant design, music composition and is largely
collaborative in nature.
Installation exploring notions of Utopia by Australian designer Helen Kontouris.
The work incorporates aspects of plant design, music composition and is largely
collaborative in nature.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Some Art Precedents
Oiticica's Tropicalia
Allen's Small Worlds
NZ artist Jim Allen's "Small Worlds" series (originally created in the late 60's, recreated from drawings for the recent Points of Contact exhbition at the Adam Art Gallery) . The sculptures are designed for interaction, and incorporate aspects of lighting design, textural design and poetry. Originally intended to challenge what Allen thought was a very limiting art world and brought post-object art into NZ. Art took on the role of experience-creating rather than centred on the production of market value.
Allen's works were shown alongside Len Lye's and Helio Oiticica's, both of whom ingeniously create experiences through their artworks. Oiticica in particular had an obsession with creating wildly expressive and colourful live-in gallery environments.
Wider Research Questions
To guide my investigation:
- What motivations do designers have to create alternative worlds/ alternative versions of reality?
- What past and current examples are there of interactive design and art utopias/ dystopias?
- How can designers challenge various ideologies/hegemonies through their artistic and creative virtual world development?
- What can the wider public gain from works, games and spaces that seek to challenge or create realities?
- What actually defines a virtual world? How loose or closed is the definition? Could a painting be said to represent a virtual world?
- What local precedents have successfully opened the conversation regarding this?
Virtual Worlds and Utopia
Utopia is an abstract philosophical, religious and sociological concept. It has
variously been considered a type of celestial nirvana, a state of equilibrium,
a potentiality of society to achieve bliss. More political regimes have considered
it the loss of capitalist systems and exchange.
In contemporary society it receives more attention in film, art and literature
more for its demonstration in dystopias- that is we react in defence of what
utopia could be as we are forced to consider the worlds of inception, the island,
1984, V for Vendetta etc. I wish to explore the link between the impulse in art
and design to consider virtual worlds, and what I feel is an inherent desire to
explore questions of Utopia.
As Mula (2011) covers in his introduction to the history of virtual worlds, the
first real consideration we have of the artistic impulse to create Virtual Worlds
in the Surrealists desire to re-imagine reality.
The works of Dali, Ernst, Magritte from surrealism clearly express the desire
to rethink our apprehension of reality. Installation artwork by Thecla Schiphorst
provides a contemporary examples of the creation of virtual worlds within the
gallery space, alternate realities delivered through ingenious tactile and digital
devices.
The use of Virtual World technologies has resulted in a burgeoning sociological
analysis on the benefits of such interactive spaces. As Castronova states, it is often
a playful escape from the burdens of the hectic society in which we operate.
However, this is it seen at only the most rudimentary form. Rather than
merely escapism, virtual reality, and more specifically virtual worlds, offer
the opportunity to engage in social interactions that can extend the potential
engagement of a range of individuals. It provides a medium in which to create
preferred situations, and offers an experiential space that has extended realms
of possibility. Virtual Worlds, and more specifically designed installation spaces
have the potential to incorporate a range of sensory and digital materials to
facilitate imaginative theorising about questions of utopia in our society.
variously been considered a type of celestial nirvana, a state of equilibrium,
a potentiality of society to achieve bliss. More political regimes have considered
it the loss of capitalist systems and exchange.
In contemporary society it receives more attention in film, art and literature
more for its demonstration in dystopias- that is we react in defence of what
utopia could be as we are forced to consider the worlds of inception, the island,
1984, V for Vendetta etc. I wish to explore the link between the impulse in art
and design to consider virtual worlds, and what I feel is an inherent desire to
explore questions of Utopia.
As Mula (2011) covers in his introduction to the history of virtual worlds, the
first real consideration we have of the artistic impulse to create Virtual Worlds
in the Surrealists desire to re-imagine reality.
The works of Dali, Ernst, Magritte from surrealism clearly express the desire
to rethink our apprehension of reality. Installation artwork by Thecla Schiphorst
provides a contemporary examples of the creation of virtual worlds within the
gallery space, alternate realities delivered through ingenious tactile and digital
devices.
The use of Virtual World technologies has resulted in a burgeoning sociological
analysis on the benefits of such interactive spaces. As Castronova states, it is often
a playful escape from the burdens of the hectic society in which we operate.
However, this is it seen at only the most rudimentary form. Rather than
merely escapism, virtual reality, and more specifically virtual worlds, offer
the opportunity to engage in social interactions that can extend the potential
engagement of a range of individuals. It provides a medium in which to create
preferred situations, and offers an experiential space that has extended realms
of possibility. Virtual Worlds, and more specifically designed installation spaces
have the potential to incorporate a range of sensory and digital materials to
facilitate imaginative theorising about questions of utopia in our society.
Position of the Surrealists
"..with its smug, superficial way of life and its belief in the the omnipotence of technological and scientific achievement, society had succumbed to a process of degeneration to which the only answer was a revolutionary new anti-art. Andre Breton, the unifying figure and charismatic leader, who, over the next two decades would coordinate acitvities and rally the troops, envisioned a movement that could really make a difference.
Surrealism would not only embrace art and literature, but would also play a part in solving the principal problems of life. It would bring about social and psychological change".
(Surrealism, Cathrin Klingsohr-Leroy, 2006)
Surrealism would not only embrace art and literature, but would also play a part in solving the principal problems of life. It would bring about social and psychological change".
(Surrealism, Cathrin Klingsohr-Leroy, 2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrUPCFO0O98
Scene from inception explaining dream virtual world creation.
Interesting filmic metaphor for our continual altering of reality.
Presents a sort of dystopian view, as one of the lead characters
uses the technology to relive the past dangerously, seeking comfort
in the escapism if proffers. On the other hand, the "architect" of
the dream world is able to break boundaries and creatively
reneogiate her conception of the real world.
Scene from inception explaining dream virtual world creation.
Interesting filmic metaphor for our continual altering of reality.
Presents a sort of dystopian view, as one of the lead characters
uses the technology to relive the past dangerously, seeking comfort
in the escapism if proffers. On the other hand, the "architect" of
the dream world is able to break boundaries and creatively
reneogiate her conception of the real world.
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