Word Cloud

This is something I had done a while ago, just to begin looking at the content and its potential. Since I don't know a way to embed an swf file, I've uploaded a bunch of screen shots. The word cluster on top are the words which I gave the students during the interactions. The second cluster are the emotion/words generated by them. In the flash file, you can click on any word to see what the students think it relates to.

Laser Cut

This is for a jigsaw puzzle sort of exercise. I will reveal more later when I have all the pieces to show you. I wanted the pieces perfectly cut so they fit perfectly. This is the laser cutter I went to - courtesy Nalisha. Nice man he was, this Mr. Vinayaka, told me how to do it much easier next time.

Here are the jigsaw piece samples he cut out the other day. I'm picking up the rest tomorrow.

Joining the dots

This is a quick word association exercise. Using the same pool of words used and generated through the interactions I asked people to connect the words, however they thought fit. It's interesting to see the network of words forming here and compare it with the associations that emerged out of the interactions.

Layers + Transluscence

This is a follow up on the previous post - using transparent/translucent sheets of paper over cut-outs. Each sheet works with a tab - and the clarity of the piece depends on the presence or absence of any of the sheet. You can of course see clearer when held against the light.


Prototype without cellophane and butter paper:

Layering

These are simply cut-outs held together, whichever way the sheets are organized, you see the whole. Memory and experience is similar - each one perceives differently to comprehend a situation.

Beginning visualising

These are some quick sketches and thought process for the next step, a series of small explorations - some participatory, some material oriented - to start working with my hands: looking at layering, translucence, jigsaws, tear-outs, mobiles etc.

Categorizing the experiences.

During the interactions, the students plotted their experiences on a timeline.
So last week, I categorized the experiences, and made a timeline for each category.

Conversation with Danika

- How do you want it look?
- Focus on memory or school?
- Memory has an ephemeral quality, its not static - your perception of it is always changing.
- Holograms? Interactive, live mindmaps?
- Does not need to take a literal form. You do not need to translate this same information you've gathered. It can be abstract, figurative.
- What should I be thinking when I view the exhibition/installation? What should I be thinking after I leave the exhibition/installation?

Group Discussion

Since I've been in a rut the last couple of days, I decided to call Ramya, Munmun, Shruti, Alannah and Tisha to have a group brainstorm. This is what we discussed:

- What is your intent? If it is merely to visualize collective memory, then it is not so much about the content, as it is about the expression – data visualization.

- Create a narrative with disjointed pieces of information – connected network of experiences.

A series of dialogues, conversations. Objects that can hold/collect qualitative information. 

- An example: 5 archetypal people. Who do you identify with? What do you want the audience to feel? Do you want them to go back and question?

- Even in most of the stories that have been narrated here are generic and identifiable, this generalization can be a strength. Draw on those generalizations.

Observations from Interactions

Emotions of contentment, satisfaction or freedom are mostly in the past, or anticipatory. 
Behaviour influenced by the system, the students' behaviour in class is only a reflection of the school system.
Pride in recalling a memory, whether sad, happy, etc.
Pattern in selecting words: conservative choices, words like exams, boards, rules, rebel are quicker to be associated with school memories; over acceptance, rewards, or intelligence.  (Majority of the chosen words are not only tangible, they are words that traditionally suggest limitation.)

Conversation with Ameeta

- All the behaviours you see in the interactions are more important than the words and pictures they write and draw. Those still maybe again things indicating a 'pleaser' mindset coming from a system that demands obedience and not creative thinking.
- The socio-cultural and management systems of schools and homes is creating too much emphasis in the children's minds to be good children rather than to be thinking or creative. There are certain beliefs that go with this "Its easier to manage obedient children." versus "Could it be easier to manage thinking children and come up with more effectiveness not just efficiency." Are we bogged down with efficiency and forgetting effectiveness and value of innovation? Is this that classrooms want rote learning and not questioning because exams only test that.
 - Reference: Book: Drawing on the right side of the brain.

Emotion clustering

tabulated & organized all the experiences.
mapped words --> emotions
quick division into positive and negative emotions
emotion clusters - synoyms and similarities with reference to the student's experiences.
emotion flow marking words attached to those emotions.

The positive emotions are more often associated with words that signal the future.
The words on the left are ones that are looked at as the cause or the system itself, the ones on the right indicate the process or the consequence.

Been working on collating stuff from the interactions so far. I have one scheduled for this weekend, so I'm going to upload those insights and more pictures of what the students did only after Sunday.

patience. 
:)

Now.

thinking about possibilities for what next.
always 'updateable'.

Conversation with Alison

- Collate all the content you have collected. 
- 'Do what you do naturally.' Start illustrating, doodling etc – you use different parts of your brain. 
Respond to what you have so far. 
- Instead of thinking of this installation as one large thing, keep doing smaller things that can add up.
Look at: Infographics
- Come up with a theory/ apparatus for bringing the students and you together. (maybe a pseudo social science, fake hypothesis)
- Maybe you can talk to people from a different demographic now - for comparison.
- the memory is a reflection of the system. The institution of something happening.
Zoom out. Is there a commonality between these interactions so far?
- Map a personal lifeline against the timelines the students have drawn.

Some thoughts

So the two interactions that I've conducted so far were in classrooms. Next week, have two scheduled that are outside school.
The main constraint is time and connecting to the children - to be able to come up with something that can be the main focus of the installation. The illustrations though insightful are unable to stand on their own.
Add another layer.
Danika, during my first review, reminded me to make sure that I explore/use something that I am extremely passionate about. What do I want to do? How do I want to contribute to the project - other that a. facilitating, b. designing the installation, designing the experience in the installation?
Since the interactions aren't going to be able to give me any higher, more refined level outcome, maybe I should limit the interactions to 4 - thats about 40 (approximation) students, [not that that's enough, but moving to the next step might be more helpful] and spend more time creating this other layer myself - something to think about.

Some Clarifications & Conversations.

Focus on the stories that emerge and representing those visually.
Focus on facilitating recollection of memories and creation of the visual form.
Focus not on illustration, or my illustration.
Research segment narrowed to class 11 and 12.
Interactions conducted in groups - more sharing and collective.

Deboo said "may work better to talk to larger groups first, and then follow up with a few students from each."
Roanna said "what about abstract photography to signify the things that stand out from the memories, and some sort of projections of those in the installations?"
Ameeta said "consider students' past experiences as well as their anticipation and approach for future choices. Consider the academic streams they come from and the pressures of that particular stream versus others."
Munmun said "for the interactions, do a mock one with either the aditi kids, or the foundies. It will remove the doubt that you may have right now.
for the installation, the constructed images - photography and illustration can work like a patchwork - superimposed & juxtaposed with each other, like a reconstruction of how you remember."