Geocaching

A friend at work has been raving about geocaching for a few months now, and has just set one up in Lincoln in relation to Boolefest.

I just had a chat with him about what it is and how it works, I was planning on explaining, but then I found this video that kinda does it for me:



It's pretty simple to set up, and could be an interesting addition to this idea of connected locations and user interaction.

It's doesn't just have to be about finding treasure, but can be run as a pass the parcel exercise. It's found initially and then taken to the next point, found again and taken a bit further.

I could set up a geocache in Stortford and either get it set to Lincoln or perhaps more interestingly to Villiers-sur-Marne en France.

Time scale would be totally unpredictable and down to the geocache hunters, but I think i'm going to give this a go.

Here's a LINK to the website

Twin Towns

This is something that has come up a couple of times in conversations about my project with others.

With this idea of multi locational interaction and study, the concept of twin towns is an interesting area of research. What's it all about?

On a personnel level I have twin towns in my life. Living in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire and working in Lincoln, Lincolnshire.

I lead a double life and spend equal amounts of time during each and every week in both locations.

I think a starting point for some new work would be to use these initial locations as a starting point. After all, I have access and knowledge of the 2 spaces already.

Just now though I looked up Bishop's Stortford to find it's twin town only to discover that it's a place called Villiers-sur-Marne in France. A Parisian suburb.

But hang on i thought, that name sounds familiar. Looking back through my research for project 1 I found the connection here in a post from almost a year ago in relation to Louis Daguerre.

The diorama in the church, a place I was longing to visit is in a village called Bry-sur-Marne, France

Turns out, it's located 2.6km from Stortfords twin town, a 11 min drive, a 32 min walk.

A sign? I think so.

French Exchange Idea

'New' Family Portrait

An idea as a possible side project came about a few weeks back, but in true tradition i forgot about it until last night.

My school had a french exchange program with college in Angers, France.

A connection between 2 locations, a relationship between people and space.

When the french kids are over, the plan would be to take traditional family portraits of the english families, but with the addition of the exchange child. Embed them within the family, as if they have always been a part of it, but in the knowledge that they are only part of it for that week and that week only.

My sister partook in the french exchange in the early 90's. She is one of the only people I know that is still in contact with her french other. Earlier this year I was invited to the exchange students wedding. I regret not going.

Lift

I'm interested in the static location and the people that use it. This is a great film I stumbled across last night. The cameraman is ever present in the lift, the confined space, constantly used. A transitional space, people heading out, people heading home. Snapshots of their day. The interaction between the individuals and the camera / cameraman are fascinating, especially how they evolve over time.

He starts as a voyeur, but then starts interacting with the characters, asking simple yet huge questions.

"Have you ever been in love?"
"What did you dream about last night?"
"Do you have religion in your life?"

and the one that struck the strongest cord with me:

"What is your best memory of your childhood?"

The time limit and the confined space with the characters in transition from one space to another give rewarding, insightful and inspirational responses.

Yes it's 24 mins long, and yeah, you will end up watching the whole thing. Brilliant.

Hakuna Matata

"From the day we arrived on the planet, 

And the blinking step into the sun, 

There's more to see than can ever be seen,

More to do, than can ever be done."

I do know that Hakuna Matata is a different song, with a different message.

So i'm thinking about user interaction in a different way these days. With "The Box" it was about hiding away the content, with the user having to curious and also willing in order to receive the content hidden within.

I'm now working with the concept of user generated content, user interaction, but with no content.

That doesn't make sense does it?

2 interaction stations. A + B

User 1 approaches station A and "interacts" in some way. The results of this "interaction" are represented and displayed at station B. User 1 doesn't see the result of their efforts.

Meanwhile, User 2 approaches station B and sees / experiences the work of user 1. User 2 then "interacts" with station B from which content is displayed at station A. User 2 doesn't see their own efforts.

Crude Setup sketch

So these 2 stations could either be separated geographically or temporally.

A connection to another space, realtime relations, a Symbiotic structure (well something like that)

A delay in time, and echo of the past, a message for the future.

The Circle of Life

In order to be entertained, you must participate and share.

A collaboration.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Where we're at

Over the past 3 or 4 weeks I've been stuck in terms of finding direction and purpose with project 2.

All work and development up until now has been of interest, useful, but haven't evolved as I'd hoped they would have done by now.

I'm a strong believer though that everything happens for a reason, and time and effort is never wasted. All past experiments and reading will of course still be influencing where i'm currently at and also where i'm going, whether it be a direct obvious link or something subconscious. In that sense, no time has been wasted, and I win.


New areas of interest are now:

Audience participation

Interaction

The viewer as the individual

The Circle of Life

Echos of Time

Intervention

Positive Intervention

Multi-locational Relation / Delivery

Twin Towns

Apologies

It's been far too long since i've posted.

Please accept my apologies.

I've been lost, I've been found, I got lost again, I focused on my personal life, and a little bit on my job, and this fell behind a cushion on the sofa.

Solid effort this week to get this blog up to speed, and this project back on track.

You should know that I've never been so happy.

I am a buzz with positivity.

g said YES!

Life is Good.