USER performance from kevings on Vimeo.
This past Monday we concluded the class Performing Participation with a performance that took place at Doosan Gallery. It took a few days to really process it. It was the first time we went through pieces without pause and in a space outside of ITP, both factors that made it much more powerful and cohesive. The unifying concept was one of “user” and the pieces themselves seemed to be almost in response and conversation. It is still difficult to separate them from each other to recognize them as individual pieces instead of this conversation, but there are a few that stood out to me. I really enjoyed Yifan’s piece which had us go to a website with a colored circle on it where if you pressed the circle it would give off a sound. Participants were a variety of colors and we followed a projection and pressed the phones when the color was on the wall. It created this beautiful soundscape as well as a nice slideshow of colors. Song and Nick’s piece had us using each other’s phones however we wanted which was very fun as well. Joanna’s piece, on the other hand, was confrontational but impactful. She sat in a chair at the front of the gallery and we could come one by one, pick up a pair of scissors, and cut a piece of her clothing to take with us.
For my own piece I went through a number of ideas, beginning with me being washed, to maybe washing each other, to perhaps me being painted. I wanted to create something that we could all participate in, though, and that would lead people to experience something positive. After talking it over and thinking about it I settled on having everyone think of someone they had not spoken with in at least six months. After people had thought of their person I instructed them to find a spot on the gallery floor and to give them a call. If they did not respond the participants were to leave a voicemail. When they were done participants listened to the conversations and voices around them. I find it fascinating that our phones largely go unused in the way the designers and us as consumers and users intend them to be. This tool was originally meant to allow us to stay in touch with our loved ones and despite having this tool available we convince ourselves we do not have time, or we are too busy or a myriad other excuses.
I was very pleased with the outcome of my piece and I was able to connect with my friend Shawn who I subsequently talked to on Skype later in the week. Sitting and listening to the voices of others being filled with joy talking to a loved one was its own auditory experience and the performance left me feeling happy. We discussed utopia a lot in this class and it was nice being able to bring that idea back for my final piece.
Performing Participation was my first Tier 2 class at ITP and my only one this semester. I’m happy to have had it so early as the approach of creating experiences through a participatory process is something I want to explore more while I am here. The fact that when we took our pieces outside (only twice, mind you) we had extremely positive outcomes encourages me to continue taking projects off of this floor and into the world. It also showed the power of simplicity in ideas and projects, and that an engaged audience can fill in the gaps. Work with the human experience and design around what already exists. If there is a feeling you want to convey, think about how people already achieve that feeling and find ways to facilitate that process. I hope to continue working with my fellow classmates I can explore this further.