null: there is always room
Yu Lee
Advisor: Luisa Pereira
"Null: There is Always Room" is a web art piece that explores the creative possibilities inherent in the concept of the 'null' value. In programming, 'null' represents an absence of a value or a placeholder, often signifying a state of absence or emptiness, and is often seen as a bad practice. This work reimagines 'null' as an expansive and liberating space, offering both a sense of comfort and a sanctuary for those navigating uncertainty or feeling marginalized within societal frameworks and fixed categories in technosocial systems.
Abstract
"Null: There is always room" is a web art piece that simulates a computer terminal. Users are flooded with a series of questions, ranging from simple personal preferences to absurd situational questions and life inquiries that can be challenging. They are prompted to answer with the shown options, their own responses, or 'null' if they feel uncertain of how to answer. The questions are displayed with disturbing visual effects, indicating the discomfort that may be encountered when answering them and making decisions in life. As users continue to type their responses, the site will progressively flood them with questions and automatic responses of 'null’ until reaching the end message of the work.
The work aims to symbolize the forgiving nature, openness, and inclusivity inherent in 'null,’ a marker in computer programming that often indicates an absence of a value. It conveys the message that it is acceptable for individuals to refrain from making a choice when faced with uncertainties and situations where they do not fit within the fixed categories of societal frameworks and technosocial systems.
This piece was inspired by "Becoming NULL: Queer relations in the excluded middle," which proposes using ‘null’ as an open space for queer indeterminacy within relational database management systems.
Technical Details
The work is developed using LiveTerm, an open-source software built with the Next.js library and the TypeScript language for building terminal-like websites. The choice of this technology is because of its open-source nature, allowing individuals to engage, which also embodies the openness of 'null' in the project.
Further Reading
Becoming NULL: Queer relations in the excluded middle
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0740770X.2018.1473986
