Kate Hartman
This device is for you.
This is the distribution of a physical experience, an invitation to perform, a call for pen pals, a series of love letters sent out to the world. This is an exercise in supposing and imagining. This is something I made with my hands and soon you might find it in your mailbox. This device is for you.
http://www.thisdeviceisforyou.com
I am designing and distributing a new line of hand-made communication devices whose form and function examine the subtle ways we relate to ourselves and to others. The result is a cross-referenced video archive that captures their transformation and interpretation in a variety of locations and situations around the world.
...
You.
Step 1: I am developing a new line of communication devices.
These devices examine the way we relate to ourselves and to others. They are assistive, demonstrative, and potentially invasive, demanding both performance and play through the avenue of physical involvement. They are an attempt to simultaneously transgress personal, social, and geographic space. They are, in a sense, a form of social intervention.
This project poses the question of what it would be like for non-verbal exchanges to be elevated to device status. My goal is to examine what falls outside of the normal range of vision - that which is difficult to be captured with a phone conversation, an email, or a video chat. I am making devices (clothing and objects and organs) that provide the awkward and the unseen with a physical presence so they can occupy space and sight, sound and touch. It is often easier to talk about something when it is a \"thing\" because then it is an \"other\" - it is not you and it is not fleeting and you can point at it as you say what you think.
Step 2: Distribution & documentation.
These devices are being replicated (by hand) and mailed out into the world to be tested and documented in variety of cultural and social contexts. Those who request to be \"device testers\" are asked to make a video of their experience. It is a humble attempt at creating a grander narrative about what it means to be human and how our objects, gadgets, and devices affect our relationships. They are instigators, springboards for conversation, attempts to draw people out of themselves. The testing/video-making is a platform for engagement or an invitation for participation. It\'s a way to traffic an idea and see the evolution of its interpretation. This is a way to see what happens to these devices as they travel through different spheres.
Step 3: Video archive & conversation.
The project as a whole represents a narrative that bridges physical and digital worlds. A blog-based site will act as an archive of the video created. It will also provide the opportunity for time-based commenting both by testers and observers. The result is an archive of cross-referenced videos that capture intimate moments and map interpretation of the initial ideas originally set forth.
...
You.
Step 1: I am developing a new line of communication devices.
These devices examine the way we relate to ourselves and to others. They are assistive, demonstrative, and potentially invasive, demanding both performance and play through the avenue of physical involvement. They are an attempt to simultaneously transgress personal, social, and geographic space. They are, in a sense, a form of social intervention.
This project poses the question of what it would be like for non-verbal exchanges to be elevated to device status. My goal is to examine what falls outside of the normal range of vision - that which is difficult to be captured with a phone conversation, an email, or a video chat. I am making devices (clothing and objects and organs) that provide the awkward and the unseen with a physical presence so they can occupy space and sight, sound and touch. It is often easier to talk about something when it is a \"thing\" because then it is an \"other\" - it is not you and it is not fleeting and you can point at it as you say what you think.
Step 2: Distribution & documentation.
These devices are being replicated (by hand) and mailed out into the world to be tested and documented in variety of cultural and social contexts. Those who request to be \"device testers\" are asked to make a video of their experience. It is a humble attempt at creating a grander narrative about what it means to be human and how our objects, gadgets, and devices affect our relationships. They are instigators, springboards for conversation, attempts to draw people out of themselves. The testing/video-making is a platform for engagement or an invitation for participation. It\'s a way to traffic an idea and see the evolution of its interpretation. This is a way to see what happens to these devices as they travel through different spheres.
Step 3: Video archive & conversation.
The project as a whole represents a narrative that bridges physical and digital worlds. A blog-based site will act as an archive of the video created. It will also provide the opportunity for time-based commenting both by testers and observers. The result is an archive of cross-referenced videos that capture intimate moments and map interpretation of the initial ideas originally set forth.