User:Mxrwho/SI24 Repository/Rapid prototype5

From XPUB & Lens-Based wiki

What is it?

A wall installation (approximate size A1). A subjective sculptural map of the city of Rotterdam made out of stills of the city life and also marking the waterways and the infrastructure, below and above ground. In the center there is a small screen displaying footage of a moving crowd, as well as other scenes related to what is depicted in the map. There are headphones playing underwater sounds gathered with a hydrophone from the underwater landscape of the city, as well as a narrative description of what this map is all about. The piece is (maybe) accompanied by a poster/leaflet with the printed version of the audio narrative and (maybe) information and data regarding the infrastructure and the population of Rotterdam. This project is connected to the theme of SI24.

Why make it?

To point out that there are aspects of life that escape us, and to stress the materiality of what makes communication and mobility possible, thus enhancing our experience and understanding of what it means to live in a set environment. The visualization through subjective mapping of the layers that take part in connecting people's lives in the contemporary world will help us broaden our perception of our environment and consider how this can or should be subject to change.

Workflow

Gathering information regarding the populace and the waters of the city of Rotterdam. Making a hydrophone to record underwater. Gathering underwater sounds. Gathering stills and images of the city-scape. Editing sounds and images. Printing. Creating the subjective map. Setting it up with the screen and raspberry pi.

Timetables

5 days research (including research on gear), 5 days gathering of materials, 5 days editing the material, 5 days sculpting the map, adding the technical parts (screen, headphones), and printing the posters.

Rapid Prototype

The hydrophone is ready and working (yes, I also thought "alive and kickin'").

Hydrophone

The map is beginning to take shape.

The map, beginning

Videos and some audio uploaded here: https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/SI24/counter-tourist_information_center/ministry_of_infraordinary

The project is becoming interactive, with the help of Rosa and Victor, and has a name and is moved to the relevant page (see link above).

more details coming soon...

Final product

coming in about a month

Previous Practice

Rapid prototypes 3 and 4 were exercises for parts that are connected to this project, namely the parallels drawn between the seen and the unseen (also the theme of rapid prototype 2) and mapping.

Relation to a wider context

Connected to the notions of psychogeography, relational aesthetics and subjective mapping that inform my general research interests and will be part of my work for next year. It is also connected to the theme of invisible (and visible) infrastructure and raising awareness towards it.