Group Project

Our goal was to create an artifact that is interactive and fits in the setting of one of the short stores we read, specifically, The Fish of LiJiang.

Our Creation: THEATER – a virtual reality device that effectively encompasses all of your senses so that you are able to escape everyday life and enter the location of your choice. It is interactive because the device is able to communicate with the user by interacting with the senses and the users are able to communicate with the device by selecting the setting of their choice and the experience of their choice. It fits in the setting of The Fish of LiJiang as those subject to testing of time compression were brought into a world where virtually everything was artificial for the sake of their well-being. A product such as this would be extremely useful for the recovery of those being experimented on.

The Process of Creation

Ideation Meeting

We first met briefly to share ideas on what our product would be like. We quickly agreed on the idea of a virtual reality set. We had to further discuss how we would make this unique from existing VR’s.

Creation Meeting

Next, we met to design and create the product.

1. We drew out a quick sketch of our product and found materials to use that fit our design

2. After finding a unique material to work with, we took a quick safety orientation to use the laser cutter.

3. We looked at the shelf of free materials for anything that would be useful to add. This led to our microphone creation. We connected a bendable wire and hot glued a pipe cleaner on the head of a birdie

We ended up taking away this component because it seemed unnecessary. We wanted the product to be very minimalistic as we imagine they will be in the future.

4. We then created the goggles with hot glue

We ran into problems with how unstable the set was. So, we used extra glue reinforcement and had to re-glue the set.

Presentation Meeting

We created an iMovie to portray the exploration of different settings.

 

Analysis of Another Group

Another group created an artifact similar to ours. They used goggles to show how everyone was able to put on the googles and escape into a virtual reality where they can visit multiple places and try other activities (such as fishing). This would also fit very well into The Fish of LiJiang as a recovery tool. I really liked how they showed the positive aspect of being able to step out of reality; making new friends and having a relaxing and interactive escape by doing healthy activities (fishing). They also showed very well the potential downsides to a product like this. It would be very easy to become addicted to escaping the difficult parts of life. The actors all spoke about how they experienced trouble for using it in inappropriate settings (at work or while taking care of a baby for example).

The Fish of LiJiang – ‘Natural’ Environment

In the short story “The Fish of Lijiang” unknowing participants of a study visit Lijiang to heal from the effects of the study. Lijiang is a haven where almost everything is fake. The “‘Natural Environment” is an artifact of Lijiang that provides a relaxing, interactive experience in all aspects. It is synced so well with the environment that the users don’t even know they’re using it. The features of this artifact include holographic images and ambient noises that mirror the natural environment. Most of all, it is interactive because of its ability to react to the needs of the individual within it. The images and sounds that it portrays are specific to what calms the mind of its user, taking into account past experiences and personal preferences. Unfortunately, this artificiality can be philosophically problematic because it distances the user from a truly natural environment and allows an escape that can be addictive. Therefore, it must be used in a regulated scenario and only for the patients that require treatment.

Newton’s Sleep – Matchmaking Calculator

Spes, the setting of “Newton’s Sleep”, is founded on the principle that reason governs everything. This includes relationship matchmaking. The artifact from Spes is a calculator used to find proper matches. The people of Spes are periodically required to input information about themselves and will be assigned reasonable matches accordingly. While this matchmaking technology may not match with today’s standards on love and relationships, a society centered around reason cannot allow the subjectivity of emotions take precedent. This allows for enhanced compatibility and a new sort of development in society. The presence of specific genetic traits can be amplified by this matchmaking tool.

The Winter Market – Psychological Communication

In the setting of “The Winter Market”, a futuristic Vancouver, a cyborg woman uses this artifact to communicate in a more intimate way, by sharing her mind. This communication tactic could potentially become dangerously intrusive if abused. The mind seems to be the only thing that can be entirely kept private in our society. However, this artifact’s ability to share the beauty and horrors of the mind can also be quite useful. It has the potential to tear down language barriers and other communication difficulties allowing for a deeper connection between people. It also would be revolutionary for the future of art and technology as people would be able to share ideas in their truest form. 

Interaction is communication* between two or more beings and/or objects.

*defined in the diagram below.

FOR EXAMPLE:

This image displays a project that uses projectors to display fractal images. The display surrounds the whole room in an immersive experience with sound and changing patterns. However, this exhibit does not fit in my definition of interaction. This is because only the first half of communication occurs. The art encodes a message, the message is sent, the observer decodes it and this is where the communication stops.

A project such as this, which has a similar method of interaction to “Geometric Proportions”  (projected images and sound), completes the cycle of communication because it allows the observer to send messages as well.

“Xenario飞来飞去以“循环时空”作为设计理念，创造移步换景的流动参观体验。观众站在巨幕面前，挥手间，就如同有了魔法，环形巨幕影像随之联动：或分开水流、或扬帆起航、或鸢飞鱼跃、或烟火绽放”

“Xenario flies around with “circulation of time and space” as the design concept, creating a mobile visiting experience that moves by step and change scenery. The audience is standing in front of the giant screen and waving their hands, as if there is magic, and the ring-shaped giant screen images are linked together: either separate the water, or set sail, or the kite leaps, or the fireworks bloom”

Here, both the artwork and observer encode, send, and decode messages. As a result, this project does fit my definition of interaction.

In short, “Geometric Proportions” allows for an experience while the Xenario allows for an interactive experience. Both projects tell a story but the Xenario allows the observer to be a part of the story, not just an observer of it.

Sources:

Xenario飞来飞去 . 中国大运河博物馆·河之恋展厅. MANA 全球新媒体艺术平台 艺术/设计/科技/跨界创新, 30 July 2017, www.manamana.net/video/detail?id=1660458.