User:Thijshijsijsjss/Notes on SI24
Transport
Motorways and tramlines
Starting and then stopping
Taking off and landing
Pre-SI
As opposed to last transition from one SI to the next, when we had a month long break in between and started slowly with a week of workshops, we are jumping straight in this time. We did have our assessments in the one week between SI23's launch and SI24's kickoff. Naturally, this assessment was an invitation for ourselves to reflect upon these two trimesters. Before we're knees deep in the final one of the first year, I'd like to take a moment to write down some of these reflections, and maybe some associated goals or things to keep in mind.
My assessment page can be found / played / performed here -->
I went into this year encouraging myself to explore the playground I had found myself in to its full extent. All things considered, I think this encouragement is working well for me. In last SI, it helped me set the goal of working on tangible things more. However, with the third trimester transitioning into more individual(ly tailored) research and work, I think it will be important for me to try to be decisive in what to do. It goes hand in hand with the advise / feedback / encouragement I got at the assessment: I can be selective.
There's a pitfall of wanting for the sake of wanting (to do something). I don't want to find myself in it. But this will be a challenge. I know this 'wanting' is a slow process for me, and to be 'decisive', I will need to allow myself the space for this slow process to simmer and then, know when to strike when the iron is hot.
Week 1
SI kickoff
Monday we kicked off Special Issue 24 with Martino, Michael and XPUB1. In sharing our stories on loitering growing up, I felt nostalgic for Duiven and its watery, fit-for-biking, inviting-to-get-lost-in surrounding nature.
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In the prototyping class we got the chance to explore micro-controllers (Arduino IDE, ESP32 microcontroller). I have some deeply burried Arduino experience, and while the coding work wasn't mind-blowing, it was good to go through some setup steps again and feel the energy to play amidst the excitement of others. I sense this is one of these things where some people delve into their own projects (that might ultimately merge with the SI). I am conscious of this now, and am presented with the opportunity to do the same. On the other hand, recall the tutors' words from the assessment:
Feel encouraged to be selective!
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Section that may or may not be renamed
Wednesday: PTMoMNBM, rapid prototype, personal reader
Weekend pilgrimage
My weekend turned out to be unexpectedly packed: bellen met Tim in Shenzhen, Mats op bezoek, naar Kaat, naar Steven, naar Duiven. After a week of reminiscing the spaces I got to know these people, I felt a comfort seeing them / going there. It was a very intense comfort: a lot of walking and talking with lots of attempts to vocalize my inner world. It turned out to be quite 'centering' and nurturing. I know I have difficulty acknowledging and embracing this feeling, and even moreso to retain it once the weekend is over. I have lost sight and agency over this 'center', and had forgotten it was within reach to pursue it (in)actively.
The walking and talking was very much a loitering activity. Also, with Steven I discussed the desire to be bored with someone, to exist with a person in a space just like I exist with my cat. This is, again, a desire for loitering. Maybe, I can find solace in loitering alone, too.
Self-assigned homework: struinen in Rotterdam
I loved wandering through Utrecht, it is a perfect city for struinen. The river banks of the Singel, de steigers and werfkelders. The wobbly streets with kinderkopjes. The air and sound and wind and sky and parks. While wandering, I have yet to connect with Rotterdam like I did with Utrecht.
My new room connects to a balcony that looks over a 'balcony agglomeration'. I find these little backyard-park-patchworks quite charming, pocket dimensions of urban tranquility. But I myself don't feel tranquil at all in this new place yet, too much newness can be dissonant in and of itself. I need to adapt to the city, with its established patterns and rules. Old and new, resonant and dissonant are all combined in this photo for me.
Week 2
Monday: lists at Zuidplein, heavy weather. I quite like this constrained writing (similar to how I liked writing this text), both as a way of producing as well as a way of observing.
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Tuesday: I made the decision (last minute, but still: a decision) to not go to school today. The centered feeling from last weekend was immediately lost on Monday. I want to feel agency over this feeling, and exercise the muscle to create the space for myself to feel this. Also, with this decision I am being selective!
I decided to explore the library near Zuidplein instead, working through Genki II, doing some wikiing, catching up on some work and running some errands later in the day.
Free facilities at Centrale Bieb Rotterdam * ... Not free facilities at Centrale Bieb Rotterdam * wifi * sanitary facilities
Free facilities at Bieb Zuidplein * wifi * sanitary facilities Not free facilities at Bieb Zuidplein * ...
Week 3
Monday: eixogen city game, GPS, phychogeography, generative walks
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Tuesday: evil dashboard
Wednesday: Lídia fell victim to the Methods curse.
Weekend pilgrimage pt2: Utrecht
I made my way to Utrecht for the occasion of my friend Meta's birthday party. It was the first time being in Utrecht since my move 2 months ago. I miss the city very, I have connected with Utrecht in ways I have not experienced with other places. Being here again was curious. Already in 2 months -- by almost all metrics a short period --, I found the city to have changed, and in this feeling, found myself to be changed. In what ways, I cannot put my finger on yet.
I worked my way through Hoog Catharijne (the infrastructure demands it -- and H.C. is not a place for loitering, you're constantly drifting with the continuous stream of people), to Neude (the library, my North Star, still there, quiet and unchanged), through the Oudegracht to Plaatboef, to my favorite spots by the Singel's water. Listening to LONG SEASON (98.12.28 Live -- I am not living a studio recording anymore). Utrecht is long season.
After the party, I went for an an evening walk. The sun was setting. 夕暮れ時を二人で走ってゆく。風を呼んで君を呼んで。I walked the Singel again, to LHC (Slachtstraat, muse, I will visit you next time), to Vaartsche rijn, to my old house. 思い出すことはなんだい? It was different. If I could see myself reflected in this place before, but now it has changed, my reflection sure must be different, too.
May break
Brussels Bricolage Trip
I notice that a new space can quickly overwhelm me. Brussels was no exception. Still, I want to experience this newness and the stimuli that comes with it, the challenge is in finding ways to help me process this in a manageable way. One strategy I often rely on, is listening to familiar music. This is really pleasant in two ways:
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A Brussels playlist of albums and episodes (selection): * Train ride there + Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) + A cozy new episode of a long-time podcast + A not so cozy episode of a short-term podcast * In a cafe + Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) * Afternoon exploring + In the Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson) + OK Computer (Radiohead) + Dummy (Portishead) * Breakfast + Clouds (Joni Mitchell) + Sportin'Life (Weather Report) <-- new album + Blue (Joni Mithell) * Lunch on a bench in a park, feeling a connection to 'home' + In the Aeroplane over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel) |
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Pen Plotting Party at OSP
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Week 5
Monday: the morning session was spent on a 'meta talk'. I'm very impressed with Martino's handling of this SI (his references, the people he invites, the places we visit, his ability to associate on the spot and vocalize these connections in a well-put manner, this 'grip' on the SI as a whole, and the way he structures this to accomodate for our needs). I was lost, though, in this conversation. Having just come back from my turbulent trip to Brussels, I hadn't had the time to process my thoughts yet, neither to catch up on some sleep. When I was presented with the opportunity (demand) to vocalize what I had been doing, I wasn't able to. I felt the same rush of panic I felt during the Brussels presentation, and wasn't able to say anything meaningful. Instead just passing on the mic in uncomfortable, teary disappointment.
Tuesday: we met at .zip to make an ARG in one day. Very reminiscent of game jams, and a nice team building exercise next to the relevance to the SI (and my personal interests and research) it has. I collaborated with Michel to make a map and a sticker that together form the solution to an environmental puzzle.
Wednesday: the bulk of the day was spent freely doing artistic research. I still feel the rigid paradigm of validity of my previous academic endeavours chaining me, but I'm trying to trust and embrace a more free approach. I then got the chance to talk about this with Mania, Maria and Lídia.
Before the break, it was just me, Victor, Wang and Rosa working in the studio in silence. It was lovely :)
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Week 6
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Monday, we had evening class starting at 17:00. We read through the smartness mandate -- which I hadn't been able to read with enough care yet, unfortunately. After a hasty dinner-break, we met at Zuidplein for some auditive experiences.
- Two speakers with in-sync metronomes: one stationary close to the listeners, one moving. How does the synchronicity change with the movement and the landscape? How does it blend in with natural sounds and percussion parties?
- A droning tone. Walk further from it, concentrating on it and it alone, until you can no longer hear it. Or can you?
- A walk at night through an intimate street: don't make any sounds. Extra difficulty level: metal strips under your shoes.
- A walk in silence over the Rotterdam docks.
This evening proved to be interesting and touching. Not only did the auditive exercises provide a different way to navigate physical space, but also social space. Walking from one location to the next, I felt connected to my classmates, and felt like I was finally digesting the SI actively.
Tuesday: processing for pi, Fritzing, making a keyboard together. Proposal feedback with Joseph.
Wednesday: working on a pen plotted illustration book PTMoMNBM, the WORM open call PTMoMNBM, talking with Steve for feedback, and writing an abstract with Victor.
Trip to Amersfoort
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Week 7
Monday: no class (Whit Monday), Loitering Glossary, Loitering in Theory.
Today I tried to (work on Martino's glossary assignment), (prepare for tomorrow's prototyping class by thinking about a device) and (update my wiki diary). I feel defeated. For all of these component, I feel excited. But when push comes to shove, I seem unable to think. I think I should talk to Martino and maybe Louisa about this. But at this very moment, I feel frustrated with and disappointed in myself. I've started to make a mindmap, because I do notice some curiosities and interests of mine intersecting with the SI's trajectory, but even looking at that I feel a little ashamed. Am I only making this entry to feel good about myself, to diverge attention from my lacking SI input?
Tuesday: manual making and secret device development.
Very excited about the manuals, feel a reignited spark for note-taking games. Just like I appreciate album art and CD booklets for extending the musical experience to the physical world, game manuals and some game mechanics can do this, too. Interesting.
Wednesday: shyly exploring research questions.
Next year: formulate one research question to rule them all, and in darkness bind them
- How can the study of feminist technologies be applied to the game industry? In particular: how might we apply insights from communities gathered around a community server to small scale indie game development teams?
Week 8
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Monday: gemeente
Tuesday: work from home, meeting joseph, 3d pen plotted movie night
Wednesday: Talking with Steve, Pen Plotting Party social media, Web-to-Print and Play PTMoMNBM
Introduction
Navigating new spaces has always been a challenge of balancing stimuli for me. Amidst tumultuous periods for my mental health, I've been thinking about tools that help me manage.
Navigating a space might analogously lead one to navigate their mind in a different way, too. If you take a left turn where you'd otherwise go right, you might make a new discovery in physical space. Just this 'simple' act might help your mind take a left turn, too: allowing you to discover and explore a new part of yourself.
Reversly, navigating your mind might impact your navigation of physical space. Being stuck in the same throught-spirals suck me into my inner world, and out of the physical world, making me blind and numb for the things around me.
Music can help me, providing familiarity in the face of new stimuli. This familiarity is often enough to ground me: a method to not ignore new stimuli, but help me regulate them at a pace I can manage.
However, music is a tool for the mind: it targets inner-world navigation to facilitate outer-world navigation. How might we accomodate for the brave souls focussing on outer-world navigation first? Where might we find familiarity in spatial navigation?
Video Games
In video games, a lot of strategies are applied to facilitate (encourage, even!) the navigation of wildly different spaces. Studying these might prove to be a worthwhile effort in gaining insights into spatial navigation in the physical world.
A Study of Navigation Aids in Video Games[1]
Mapping & Wayfinding: Designing Games & Interactive Stories[2]
Maps, world-oriented vs player oriented
Weenies
Lighting
Positive spaces, negative spaces, defensible spaces
Prospect-refuge, cathedral effect,
Liminality
Game Spaces: On Liminality and the Magic Circle of Games [3]
Homo Ludens[4]
User:Senka/special_issue_3/Liminal_Spaces_and_Non-Places
Puzzle Games (Portal, Superliminal, Talos Principle, Viewfinder)
Survival / Action Exploration Games (Half-Life, Mirror's Edge, BioSchock, Shooters like Borderlands after you've cleared an area)
Interactive Fiction (Stanley Parable, Heaven's Vault)
Intended vs not-intended, diegetic vs non-diegetic
References
- ↑ Jixiong Xiao, 2020, A Study of Navigation Aids in Video Games, MS Thesis, University of Dublin. https://publications.scss.tcd.ie/theses/diss/2020/TCD-SCSS-DISSERTATION-2020-021.pdf
- ↑ Filimowicz, M., PhD (2024) Mapping & Wayfinding - narrative and new media - medium, Medium. https://medium.com/narrative-and-new-media/mapping-wayfinding-5fc21d054898.
- ↑ Kristiansen, E. and Harsløf, O. (2015) 'Game Spaces: On Liminality and the Magic Circle of Games,' in Engaging spaces: Sites of Performance, Interaction, and Reflection. Museum Tusculanum Press, pp. 154–180. https://forskning.ruc.dk/en/publications/game-spaces-on-liminality-and-the-magic-circle-of-games.
- ↑ Huizinga, J. (1949b) Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-element in Culture. Routledge/Thoemms Press.
Bijna bestaand boekenhof
Classess
| week | name | date |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Pad of the Monday | 2024-04-08 |
| Pad of the Tuesday | 2024-04-09 | |
| Pad of the Wednesday | 2024-04-10 | |
| Week 2 | Monday lists pad | 2024-04-15 |
| Pad of the Wednesday | 2024-04-17 | |
| Week 3 | Pad of the Monday | 2024-04-22 |
| Pad with Tuesday microcontroller code | 2024-04-23 | |
| Week 5 | Pad of the Monday | 2024-05-06 |
| supersecrettuesdaypad | 2024-05-07 | |
| supersecretassignmentpad | 2024-05-07 | |
| Pad of the Wednesday | 2024-05-08 | |
| Loitering Glossary | 2024-05-09 | |
| Week 6 | Pad of the Monday | 2024-05-13 |
| Pad of the Tuesday | 2024-05-14 | |
| Pad of the Wednesday | 2024-05-15 | |
| Week 7 | Pad of the Tuesday | 2024-05-21 |
| Pad of the Wednesday | 2024-05-22 | |
| Week 8 | Pad of the Tuesday | 2024-05-28 |
| Pad of the Wednesday | 2024-05-29 | |
| Week 9 | Pad of the Monday | 2024-06-03 |
Literature
| date of addition | title | author(s) | pad(s) and other links | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-08 | Why Loiter? Women and Risk on Mumbai Streets | Shilpa Phadke, Sameera Khan, Shilpa Ranade | Bootleg Library Link | We read a piece that I cannot find currently as the library is down |
| 2024-05-13 | THE SMARTNESS MANDATE (2022) | Orit Halpern, Robert Mitchell | Bootleg Library Link, mirror | We read the introduction |
Project Pages
An index of selected project pages referenced on this page: