INSITEOUT OUTSITEIN Extending Sensory Experiences
Sidra Ashraf Javier Gurza Nahle Berlin Technische Kunsthochschule (BTK), 10963 Berlin,Germany s.ashraf91@gmail.com javier.gurza@gmail.com
In-Site-Out uses the Window, and by reversing its function shows the inside of the space by augmenting a view similar to that of reflections on glass pane in several points in time, whereas Out-Site-In uses the Door as a portal that takes the viewer to a journey within the surroundings of this Site giving a brief outlook of the historical past that this building survived in, inviting the viewer to a juxtaposed world changing his perception via extension of sensory experience. With these two elements in space, In-Site-Out and OutSite-In, gives an overview of the whole site through history using media as a sensory extension in order to increase his knowledge of the space in relation to its historical context.
Author Keywords Sensory extension; Inside out; Space and time juxtaposition; cool and hot media;
ACM Classification Keywords H.5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): Miscellaneous;
Introduction
Paste the appropriate copyright/license statement here. ACM now supports three different publication options: •ACM copyright: ACM holds the copyright on the work. This is the historical Abstract approach. •License: The author(s) retain copyright, but ACM receives an exclusive publication license. In-Site-Out and Out-Site-In are to two of one •Open Access: The author(s) wish to pay for the work be open parts access. The installation additional fee mustwhere be paid toone ACM. extends his senses using media This field is large enough to hold the appropriate release statement assuming it is to text perceive his surroundings differently. It allows the single-spaced in Verdana 7 point font. Please do not change the size of this text box. viewer to get an overview of The Academie Lounge and Each submission will be assigned a unique DOI string to be included here.
its surroundings when he participates in the process of walking or moving at different points within this Site Specific installation. It is comprised of two parts;
This installation gathers the meaning of a place, as a space that is defined by its past and physical context and the way one experiences it depends on one’s senses. In-Site-Out/Out-Site-In is a site-specific installation which aims to highlight the importance of the historical aspect of the location of the space. This installation is derived from the experience of looking into both, the historical background and the physical surroundings of the area in which the building is located.The Project uses participatory triggers that allow senses to be extended, which in turn causes the change in media allowing viewers to experience the
historical importance of the building and its surroundings in a different perspective, creating a better understanding and connection to the place and there by breathing life into the area surrounding it. The concept of this interactive installation was further developed with Marshall McLuhan's Book ' Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man' in which he talks about media as an extension of human´s senses and the effects it has upon them. He writes:"Rapidly, we approach the final phase of the extension of man—the technological simulation of consciousness, when the creative process of knowing will be collectively and corporately extended to the whole of human society, much as we have already extended our senses and nerves by the various media."( Page 5 &6, Line 13-18, Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan)
Hot and Cool Media Marshall Mc Luhan wrote his 'Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man' in 1964. He characterized media into “Hot and Cool Media.” Hot media immerses the viewer using only one sense, provides more information and less participation in terms of senses involved, such as the Radio where as Cool Media such as telephone and television allows the viewer to participate, provide less information and a less immersive experience. His definition of Hot and Cool Media is challenged widely and has been subjected to criticism because culture and media constantly shift at an ever-increasing rate. His definition of cool media involving participation of more senses and less immersion is not valid in the information age. McLuhan’s view is obviously informed by his own historical context, which was a time when the media user had no immediate means to provide
feedback and participatory triggers were considered inferior when transmitting some information. Eduardo Navas, in his critique 'After Media' says that media is neither hot nor cold but rather it has been cooled in the information age and a user can select what he wants to inform himself about and any device can be hot and cool depending upon the usability. The result of the current cooling of media which in effect cools culture, then, is that it has shifted the way people experience the world.[5] With the advent of smartphones , the onset of information and digital age and fast lifestyle, participation has become vital and people are interested in things that they can influence and get the type of information they require without wasting time. In the times we are living in today, people have short attention span and they want to be immersed in the virtual world within the physical space. In the same way, this project incorporates the elements of media in multiple ways, such as layering of images combining points in history by juxtaposition of time and space, real camera feedback of the person in space and user participation with sensory extension with audiovisual and kinesthetics elements creating a “Cool Media” installation in McLuhan´s context but with a higher degree of immersion and participation.
The Academie Lounge The Academie Lounge [see Fig:1] is an event location place near Potsdamer Platz. It was one of the three buildings in this area to have survived after the WWII becoming in the following decades, a Bank and later on into a showroom for the company Buderus. The location is an attraction to clients due to the location and panorama screen, but by observing the space it was evident that there are other interesting elements such
as the windows, pillars, and doors in which a sensory extension to the outside and the inside of the site could be created incorporating McLuhan´s use of Cool Media in which the user could engage with the place in different ways through more than one sense. Opening a door that leads to the inside of the building and looking outside the window that shows the backyard led us to the concept idea of reversing the usual ways of experiencing these elements within the space and thereby extending our senses to what can be beyond these elements instead of the obvious way of perceiving the Space. Metaphorical usage of architectural elements
Figure 1 : Academie Lounge, Köthenerstraße 44, Berlin
Windows, as a metaphor, symbolize an opening, elimination of darkness and reconnection to the beauty of the surroundings. There is a proverb, ‘Eyes are windows to the Soul.’ In-Site-Out reverses the view of the window, that instead of looking out, it looks in as a reflection of the space in different points in history. Doors are structures that are opened or closed in order to control and restrict access from the outside. As a metaphor, they refer to portals and other non-physical entrance. Out-Site-In uses a door as a portal to the past of the surrounding, inviting the viewer to a juxtaposed world changing his sensory experience of the physical and social space surrounding the Site. With these two elements in the space, In-Site-Out and Out-Site-In, give an overview of the whole site through history.The door instead of letting the viewer inside, brings the outside space into the inside, and the window instead of showing the outside shows the inside. Both of these pieces use visual elements, such as pictures and reflections, to transport the viewer to another time in history; position and movement recognition as kinaesthetic element to trigger the interaction with the installations; and sound elements to recreate the whole context of the site in that specific
time through these sensory extensions. Considering this installation as a Cool Media, it demands the viewer engagement physically through interaction because they require their perception and actions to go through the whole space.
Related Work Previous work has been done on the topic of bring the outside in and the inside out but the most influential works for these Installations include “Mixed Reality Living Spaces” by Bernardo Schorr, UX and Interaction Designer, who explores the idea of how the future apartments would look like. He explores the idea of how Digital technologies will allow us to immerse in different spaces within the same environment, providing a relief from the sensation of confinement.[1]
HBO -- BBDO New York, 5-minute film on the side of a building in New York, revealing the stories that might be unfolding on the other side of the wall. It juxtaposes the movie set onto a real Building.[3]
Alter Bahnhof Video Walk; 2012; Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller.[2] Itallowsyou to see the place from the point of view of the artist. itjuxtaposes an augmented reality onto the realspace by the use ofSmartphone. Maria Nordman, Filmroom, Smoke, 1967, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, September 4, 2011–January 15, 2012. [4]The installation juxtaposes the Sofa within the picture in split screen, the other screen has the sofa as a sculpture with the juxtaposed image of the people sitting on it.
Research Question
How can interaction be experienced more immersively using Mc Luhan's media associated sensory extension?
Method
Figure 2 : Setup Door
Figure 3: Setup Window
This installation aims at changing the perception of the space and the area, by bringing more activity within the space and connecting it to the more explored areas of Berlin through the use of sensory extension of several senses. For the door, we use the visual journey through the area with images and archival photos projected onto a doorframe creating the illusion of walking within the quarter. [see Fig: 4] We used real-time camera feedback of the person walking within the space to be projected as an ending to the journey. The conducting metal plates under the viewers act as a circuit breaker that allow the relative frame to be displayed on the projection screen which closes or opens the circuit depending on the speed the viewer steps on the metal plate. An Arduino processes the feedback of the circuit, the camera and the mapped video which is then projectedon a projection screen within the frame of the door. [see Fig:2] For the Window, we used the same mechanism of metallic conductivity inthree standing spots relative to one's position in front of the window, areal camera feedback of the room, 3D model rendersof a Bank and the Buderus Haus [see Fig:5] that will be overlapped according to the position of the Viewer as a form of reflection on the window. The Arduino will process the data from the circuit (position of the viewer), VVVV sketch determines the real-time Camera feedback of the view of the room and 3D render is selected accordingly to be projected with a projector on the window pane covered with projection foil. [see Fig:3]
Research Method Premise Figure 5: In-Site-Out, Exhibition Mixed Realities 2016 Figure 4: Out-Site-In, Exhibition Mixed Realities 2016
Justifying a greater immersive experience for the viewer through Cool Media or participation as Hot Media, a critique to McLuhan´s book “Understanding Media”. Process Participants were observed and interviews were conducted in order to find out the viewers’ reaction to the installation and if they were able to perceive a more immersive experience. People were asked; What type of media captivates you the most? Would you rather have this journey in a movie instead of interacting with the installation? How does it feel to control the imagery in an installation?
Result People gave us insights that it felt good to influence the media and it made them feel in control of what they wanted to observe within the frames and could skip it as well if they wanted. Some people expressed the desire for more interaction and wanted that the steps could also move in the reverse direction so that they could go back to the visual they preferred. During observation, some people were really enthusiastic on finishing the whole journey whereas some people complained about the long duration and the number of steps. When people reached the last point within the door journey and their picture appeared in the frame of the door they felt like it was some reward and felt happy. When we asked them about what media captures their attention the most, they answered that things that they can influence such as interactive applications, installations and games where they can influence the usability. Through observation and interviews conducted during the exhibition we were able to extract unique results that supported our initial idea about a greater
engagement of viewers with the use of Cool Media, which proves that McLuhan´s idea of Hot and Cold media has changed through time.
Future Work In Future, we would like to make the work less ambiguous in terms of the Window and test visuals according to the colour palette before layering images to have a seemless reflection illusion to reduce ambiguity. We will shorten the number of steps for the door and add in more ways to partcipate in the event. We also want it to be on a Panoramic Screen so that people will be more immersed in the experience while walking in the same spot. We would also install these installations in other cities other than Berlin or in villages where you can enter through the door and see the city life of Berlin
References 1.
Mixed Reality Living Spaces. Bernardo Schorr. Published on 15 May 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=H8FwT1LCxew
2.
After Media. Eduardo Navas. 2009. Drain Magazine, Published on 9th July 2009. http://drainmag.com/index_col.htm? http://drainmag.com/ContentCOLD/Essays/Nav as/Navas.html#sdendnote11anc
3.
Alter Bahnhof Video Walk. 2012. Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller.Published on 23 Jul 2012.https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=sOkQE7m31Pw
4.
HBO -- BBDO New York. Uploaded on 18 Jul 2008.https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=HaQ8UDZclQM
5.
Filmroom, Smoke. Maria Nordman. 1967. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, September 4, 2011–January 15, 2012. http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/marianordman-filmroom-smoke1967%E2%80%93present