MayukoNakamura

 AboutSabrinaRaaf Artiststatement ProjectsTranslatorII:GrowerCurtainWallSearchstoretrash

 Morevideos Discussion Mypersonalopinion

  SinceIreallydidn’tfindmuchcritiquesonweb,Iformedagroupof4people,totalkaboutwhatwethoughtaboutherprojects.

  Groupisformedbypeoplefromdifferentmajor—noengineer,sorry.

  FilmmajorwithArtandTechnologycertificate‐‐‐Me  Geologymajor  Artmajor  Nursingmajor(actuallywehadonemoreperson,butsinceallshemanagedtosaywas“It’scool”,

andsincethatisnotsohelpfulheropinionisexcluded)

 SinceIamnotdoingmypresentationthedayIwassupposedto,Iaddedthis,soatleastyouknowIamnotsimplycopy‐pastedmaterials.

  IguessitisbasicallywhatIthought,orlearnedfromherprojects.

 SabrinaRaafisaChicago‐basedartistworkinginexperimentalsculpturalmediaandphotography.

 ShereceivedanMFAinArtandTechnologyfromtheSchooloftheArtInstituteofChicago(1999)andiscurrentlyanAssistantProfessorintheSchoolofArtandDesignattheUniversityofIllinoisatChicago.

  Myworksaredesignedtoheightenpeople’sawarenessofthesocialspacetheyshare–aswellastheuniquenessoftheirmomentwithinit.TheformsIcreateareinspiredbyinnovationsinmobile,sustainable,andmodulararchitectureandbygenerativeartprocesses.I’velongbeenfascinatedbyspacessuchasBuckminsterFuller’sDymaxionHouse,thataredesignedtobemechanicallyshiftedand/ortransmutedon‐the‐flyinordertoaccommodatedifferentfunctions,needs,and/orinhabitants.Thesedesignsinspiredmetobegincreatinginteractive,machine‐basedinstallationscapableof‘reading’theirenvironmentthroughsensorarraysandrespondingbyalteringsonic,lighting,andorphysicalelementswithinit.

  .Myinstallationsmaysenselevelsofactivity,thescaleofspace,and/orthemovementofpeopleandinreturn,theyprovideavisualrecordoflifeinthatspace.Theirrecord(s)amplifyanyevidenceofchangeinthespace–whetherthechangemayberapidandtransitory,ormoregradualorevolutionaryinnature.Myinterestisindefiningnewwaysinwhichgenerativeandresponsiveenvironmentsmightprovideusefulorpoignantinformationtoacommunity.

  TheDymaxionHousewasdevelopedbyinventorandarchitectBuckminsterFullertoaddressseveralperceivedshortcomingswithexistinghomebuildingtechniques.Fullerdesignedseveralversionsofthehouseatdifferenttimes,buttheywereallfactorymanufacturedkits,assembledonsite,intendedtobesuitableforanysiteorenvironmentandtouseresourcesefficiently.Oneimportantdesignconsiderationwaseaseofshipmentandassembly.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcB9JPlgaoM

 http://www.raaf.org/projects.php?pcat=2&proj=4&sec=video

  TranslatorII:Growerisasmall‘rover’vehiclewhichnavigatesaroundtheperipheryofaroom.Ithugstheroom’swallsandrespondstothecarbondioxidelevelsintheairbyactuallydrawingvaryingheightsof‘grass’onthewallsingreenink.TheGrowerrobotsensesthecarbondioxide(CO2)levelintheairviaasmalldigitalCO2sensor.Thissensorismountedhighonawalloftheexhibitionspaceandsendsdatawirelesslytotherobot.

  Dimensions:2’hx2’wx17”d

Materials:customrobotics,sensors,andinkdrawing

  ThemetaphoricrelationisthatgrassneedsCO2innaturetogrow.Here,mysimulatedgrassneedsthebreathofhumanvisitorsinordertothrive.Theheightofthe‘grass’directlyreflectsonthehumanactivityortrafficinthespace.Themorepeoplethatvisitthatspace,themoreamenablethatspaceistomymachine’sabilitytocreate.TherelationshipbetweenTranslatorII:Grower,thespace,andthepublicbecomesacross‐metabolicone.Thispiecemakesvisiblehowartinstitutionsdependontheirvisitorstomakethem‘healthy’spacesfornewarttoevolveandflourishwithin.

 Metaphorandideabehindisveryclear  Interestingthatmachineisdrawinggrass‐‐‐creatingnaturebyhumaninteractingwithit

  Verycreativewayofpresentingtheidea  Invisible(CO2)intoVisible(grass)

 Whatifthethicknessoflinecanalsomeansomething?

  Interesting,butnotenoughIwouldpersonallygotoseeit.

 http://www.raaf.org/projects.php?pcat=2&proj=1&sec=video

  (youshouldseethevideo. ThephotoIhavearen’tthatlovely)

  CurtainWall,alargescale,real‐timeinteractiveinstallation::apublicartcommissionbytheMetropolitanPierandExpositionAuthority(MPEA)ofChicago

  Theinteractivevideoportionofthisworkrespondstochangesintheambientroomsoundaswellastovisitorsspeakingintothemicrophonelocatedjustnexttothedisplays.

  VideoWall:20fthx6ftwHangingSculpture:40ftlx12ftwx16fth

  Materials:Steel,extrudedplastic,LEDlighting,videotiledisplay,andinteractivelightdisplay

  Referencesthearchitecturaltraditionofthe“curtainwall”or“glasscurtain”facadeinChicago.Thisstyleofedge‐to‐edgeglassfacadewaspopularizedbyfamedarchitectMiesVanDerRoheinthemid20thcenturyandremainsadistinctiveelementofChicago’sskylinetoday.

  Shepushesforwardthemetaphorofthe“curtainwall”byrecreatingthefacadeoftheMcCormickPlaceWestbuildingandbendingit’sstructureuntilittakesontheformofapliablecurtain,blowinginthewind.Indoingso,Raaf’spiecealsoreferencesChicago’s“WindyCity”nickname.

  InkeepingwiththeoriginalmeaningoftheWindyCitymoniker(baseduponblusterypoliticsandpoliticians),thevirtual‘glasscurtain’showninthevideoreactstovoicelevels(bothintheirpitchandvolume)byactivelyfluttering,floating,orflapping.Themore“wind”visitorscreatewiththeirvoicesthemoremotionisgeneratedinthecurtain.

  Itlooksbeautiful Reallyinterestingthattheglasscanfliplikeapiecefabric.

 Creating“wind”bysoundsiscreative‐‐‐it’snotjustmovingfornoreason.

 Whatifsheusedcoloredglass? Whatifglasswasmorereflective,likemirror?

 http://www.raaf.org/projects.php?pcat=2&proj=9&sec=video

  searchstoretrashisamodularinstallationpiece.Itincorporatesapproximately100feetofcustomfabricatedcartrack,aradiocontrolledcarandremote,wirelessvideo,twocustomfabricatedrace‐carchairs,andavideomonitorinterface.

 Galleryvisitorsareinvitedtonavigatethegallery’sarchitecturebydrivingthecarviaremotecontrolaroundthesculptedtrack.Thetrackitselfdriftsthroughthegalleryspaceinaseriesoftwists,turns,spirals,bridgesandlookoutpoints.Visitorsthereby“experience”thegalleryspacefromeitheramouse’sorafly’seyepointofviewdependingonthecar’slocation.

  Searchstoretrashisaphysical,sculpturalmanifestationinspiredbythislooseandevolvingstructureoftheweb.Visitorsareinvitedtositinchairsthatshedesignedtolooklikeahybridbetweenanofficechair,aracecarseat,andahelicoptercockpit.Infrontofthemisavideomonitorwhichdisplaysawirelessvideofeedbeingbroadcastlivefromatinyvideocameramountedinthefrontofaradiocontrolledcar.

  Searchstoretrashisanexplorationoftelepresenceandmobility.Thispiecefunctionsprimarilyasametaphorfortheprocessthatonegoesthroughwhilesurfingtheweb.Thisisaprocessofrapiddecision‐makingwhereonemustcontinuouslychoosewhethertosearch,tostore,ortotrashtheinformationonecomesacross.Whilesittinginanofficechair,thewebnavigator’sbodyremainsstatic.Yet,thereistheimpressionofmobility–eventravel–whilethesolonavigatorexplorestheorganicarchitectureoftheweb.

 Thescripturelooksgreat. Thedesignofthechairiscool.  Itcertainlybefuntotrynavigatingthething.

 Whatifithadmorecolors—notjustwhite Metaphorissounclear‐whatifthecarlookedlikeamouse?‐whatifcontrollerlookedlikeakeyboard? Whatthescripturehadmorethanonesideways?

 http://www.raaf.org/projects.php

  Ifounditinterestingthatnotonly“whatitdoes”isimportant,but“howitiscaused”couldbeascreative.

  Example—DryTranslator(video)It’snotsoimportantwhatitdoes(makesounds),it’sabouthowwetouchthewallall

overtoactivatethesound.  Example‐‐‐TranslatorII:GrowerBecauseitreactstoCO2,machinedrawinggrassmeanssomething.Whatifitwas

reactingtothesoundlevelintheroom?Morepeopleareintheroom,themorenoises,soitwouldbeaboutthesameresult,yetmeaningitholdswouldbedifferentthen.

  Don’twetendtothinkabout“whatitdoes”morethan“whatcauseit”?

 Likeoneprojectourteamisworkingon—Moonflower.Wearethinkingthatflowerisgoingtoreacttothelight.

 Questionis:howtogetthelight?Arewejustletpeopleturnonandofftheroomlight?Orarewegoingtokeeptheroomdark,andletpeopleuseaflashlight?Ormakesomethingthatlightupwhenwepushabutton?Theyareall“Light”,butmethodisdifferent.

  Idea:Whatifonegroup’sprojectwithsoldierscouldbeactivatedbyabutton—whatisitcalled?Those?Insteadofwhensomeonecomenear?

 Woulditcreatemoremeanings,orless?