Thursday, 18 July 2013

Watch Your Step

So for those who are interested, here are some photos of the finished installation and a video of how it works.



And the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNzyCrxBb-w



The gallery space can often be considered secondary to an artwork and not really that important at all.  I believe that this attitude towards a space can also bleed into the viewers experience with the art that is presented in that particular space.  “Watch Your Step” examines what the gallery space is and what its purpose is, and whether it and the artwork within it can be something more than the expected.
The installation before you is constructed to resemble a normal gallery space, with four walls, a floor and a ceiling, but with the noted exception of there being no form of traditional art on display.  However, there are pressure sensors under the floor, that when tread upon will trigger a recording to play randomly from hidden speakers in the walls of the installation.  It is an interactive multimedia installation, but more than anything it’s meant to be fun.  The interaction is crucial to whether or not the work is successful, and forms the main focus of the project.  The aim is to see how the viewer will interact with the work, a supposedly empty room, how they place themselves within the context of the white empty walls of the gallery, and their reaction and response to the recordings they unknowingly trigger as they move through the space.
This unexpected interaction with a seemingly autonomous and empty room will hopefully make the viewer think about the space as an integral part to how art is perceived and experienced.  The encounter the work creates is designed to build a relationship with the viewer without the influence and baggage of a traditional form of art present.  A relationship that is more playful and surprising than any gallery space has been before.  So don't be shy when approaching the installation, feel adventurous and have some fun.
 

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