Initial Ideas:

1. Memorial Garden. (VR)

Taking inspiration from such projects as the memorial park, that had been created to remember the victims of the great eastern earthquake that had taken place in Japan in 2011, I am currently contemplating the development of a similar project that would seek to memorialise the victims of the pandemic.-Could the memorial be an all digital environment, delivered through a VR-headset, accessible from anywhere in the world?

2. Data-visualisation Fashion Label.

How can we make data more accessible to the average citizen?-Specifically, young people, who often feel ignored and sidelined in such events as the current pandemic.

In endeavouring to broaden the discussion I would create and develop a range of fashion accessories and affiliated products, whose surfaces would be home to data relating to the pandemic, this information may be categorised in order to better accommodate the respective demographic. For example: The visual language used to converse with a younger audience would certainly seek to tap into youth-led trends and contemporary sub-cultures that are rooted in the experiences and interests of young people.

3. The transient nature of contemporary retail spaces.

Upon reflecting of my discussion with Anna Bergfors, I had spent some time considered the impact of the pandemic on an already economically-weakened retail sector.

In my view, and as is evident in many existing spaces throughout the global retail sector, the future of the high street is going to be exclusively focused on the provision of experiential services. That is to say, that we shall only visit cosmopolitan hubs in order to obtain specific experiences, and that they will largely focused on the provision of food and/or entertainment. In regards to the later, this will be provided through the use of digital innovations, which will in-turn reduce the scale of the retail space itself, shops will be greatly reduced in scale and product ranges will be displayed through screens, and therefore remove the need for the storing of physical items, in-store.

This speculative future is currently emerging on our horizon, and with in new questions will need to be asked about how we shop? And consequently, what does this mean for the future of urban planning?

4. The Book of Covid/2020

A visual-narrative conveying the events of the year 2020, through the use of illustrations comprised of photographic elements and vector-graphics.

5. The role played by our environments, during the pandemic.

More than ever our immediate environment, and those with which we are familiar, have become important to our physical health and mental well-being.-How does society respond to the shifting boundaries, both physical and psychological?

6. Speculative Futures: A City of Ghosts.

Prior to the pandemic, and arguably for the last twenty plus years, we have seen a decline in the economic fortunes of our high streets. The once bustling shopping centres and department stores now abandoned and forgotten by the British consumer. This societal shift has profound implications for the future of the urban-hub, and forces us to ask questions pertaining to both the change in consumer-trends and the needs of future consumers.

Hiroshi Naito.

The Japanese Architect demonstrates a firm understanding of the needs of an ever-changing urban community, and he endeavours to adapt and innovate, accordingly. This is evident in his work on the redevelopment of the Shibuya and Shinjuku districts, in central Tokyo.

In looking at this body of work, I am inspired to reflect on how the same values; Humility, efficiency, dependability, etc, could be applied to my own outcome. At present that final iteration is on-course to take the form of a digital environment, whose purpose is to provide comfort and engage with users, helping them to adapt to, and cope with, the fallout from the pandemic, and in the process demonstrate what I believe to be the future role of the technological innovations, within the retail sector.

In responding to the current challenges that have arisen across the Arts & Culture sector, I am endeavouring to create a product that not only serves as a communication tool for the various organisations across the sector, but also a virtual space that can be adapted to accommodate the specific needs of each organisation.

Minimalism.

What strikes me about Hiroshi’s work is how it beautifully blends form with the respective environment, and thereby allows the open spaces within to breath. This is in-part achieved by marrying wood and concrete in a fashion that allows the form to appear organic, yet man-made.

This willingness to embrace a fusing of materials is what separates him from other Japanese Minimalists, most notably Japan’s most famous minimalist Tadao Ando, whose concrete monoliths are imbued with both the presence of the ancient world and a sense of what the future holds. Hiroshi, in contrast is very much focused on serving the present.

In reflecting on the values that are present in Hiroshi’s work, and indeed those that can be found throughout the language of Japanese design-philosophies, I am encouraged to consider how I may translate those points into a digital language?

In considering this, I am then forced to confront the question of, why am I doing this?-And subsequently, what function does such a product serve?

The needs of the user?

Throughout the last Twelve months we have been witness to the many changes within the workplace, and in schools. The uncertainty of the economic climate, along with the emerging health crisis has served to create a lived experience that is oftentimes fraught with uncertainty, plagued by economic pressures at home, and for many families across the UK, the question of how to guarantee the provision of an education for their child.

The Governments response to this particular question has been ill-considered and poorly executed, and as is often the case, it is those most in need that stand to bare the consequences of such tenuous policies. And with the promise of access to digital devices and Wi-fi for all school age children, from lo-income home not fulfilled, it is evident that at this point in proceedings the government response has been decidedly, reduced. So, where does that leave the many children whom do not have access to private tutors or a place in the classroom?

My proposal seeks to answer this question, and through collaboration with the Arts & Culture sector, I am intending to create a strategy that would employ the use of technological innovation and the expertise of those individuals that are employed by our cultural organisations and heritage sites. As part of this strategy I would endeavour to streamline the relationship between educational institutions and cultural organisations, and in the process seek to accommodate a mutually beneficial relationship that would guarantee access to educational content and promote the participating organisations, within the wider community.

For so many children from low-income families, the pleasure of visiting an exhibition or the sense of wonder that accompanies a visit to a museum such as the Natural History Museum is an unknown. The reason for this may be informed by so many factors: It may be the case that they were born into a family that does not promote an interest in the Arts: Or perhaps, the desire to partake is present, but the economic strains of daily life make if impossible to fund a family trip to the capital, to visit the nations finest cultural institutions.

The Democratisation of the Digital Forum: How can we expand the educational experience of those from low-income families?

The fundamental questions that pertain to the lived experience, both desired and the most accessible, are of great interest to me, specifically in relation to technological innovations. For example, we may presume that all households now have access to some form of digital device and a Wi-fi connection, or that each child is encourage to take an interest in the Arts & Culture that surrounds them, but the stark reality for many in this country does not allow for such indulgence, because oftentimes they are preoccupied with attempting to maintain a basic level of existence in an all but impossible economic climate, that is defined by the class system and plagued with outdated notions of entitlement and birthright.

Equality in recent years has seemingly begun to become less of a concern in the governance of the UK, and indeed in many of the developed countries around the world, and the consequence of this is an ever-widening divide between social classes, which contrary to the belief that the class system is no longer present, continues to put many children at a disadvantage. One of the most notable occurrences that testifies to this debate, is the recent campaign by Marcus Rashford, a professional footballer whom had himself been born into a low-income family, having to campaign to convince the govern to provide free school meals to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, during periods in which the country had gone into lockdown.

In reflecting on the value of technological innovations, I am also inclined to consider the wider relationship between the brand and the consumer, specifically how that relationship can be explored further in order to increase the value for both parties. For example: By adapting internal practices within the National History museum in order to accommodate a much broader engagement with schools and universities, could also allow the organisation to develop its marketing strategy and expand its own pool of resources, which itself could take the form of data or a monetary contribution.

Understandably, there are ethical concerns pertaining to the privatisation of such institutions, and there are indeed strict requirements in regards to safe-guarding children and teenagers, within the school environment. This proposal would seek to continue that adherence to the current laws and regulations, but also to broaden the role that is played by national, and even international, cultural organisations within the context of providing a much richer educational experience to those from low-income families, across the UK.

Science Museum.

Emilia McKenzie, Digital Manager, Learning for the Science Museum Group explains that by placing object-orientated learning at the forefront of the learning experience, one is able to facilitate a much broader, and engaging learning experience.

Teachers who want to use our objects in their teaching often don’t have the time to trawl through extensive online catalogues. Luckily, with a bit of extra effort museums can support these audiences to explore our collections independently.

Emilia McKenzie, Digital Manager, Science Museum.

With this considered, I believe that there is indeed a demand for new and progressive platforms that bridge the divide between educational content and immersive gamification. And through the use of such formats as VR and AR, the Arts & Culture sector could establish a new model for consumer engagement, that could compete with the private sector.

In reflecting on what the format could offer such institutions as the Science Museum, Emilia goes on to list the following points:

Opportunities

A) Reaching a greater number of people beyond those who are able to visit in person.
B) Catering to a range of preferences and styles.
C) Allowing users to ‘get closer’ to objects which might be displayed behind glass.
D) Opening up new ways to encounter objects.

Challenges

A) Compared with object handling, difficult to replicate powerful tactile experiences e.g. feel/ weight/ smell of an object.
B) Question-based facilitation techniques responding to real responses may not be an option.
C) At a basic level, using digital for object engagement can take two (not mutually exclusive) directions:

1) Using digital to share objects.
2) Using digital to facilitate the object encounter.

In reflecting those points, I can observe that the primary concern for many professions working within the museum and gallery sector, is the loss of engagement when delivering content outside of the relevant environment. And that by compromising on this point, the audience is at risk of having a less fulfilling experience.

Serpentine

Current programmes:

Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s virtual landscapes

As part of their response to the conditions imposed by the government, in response to the pandemic, the Serpentine has increased its efforts in providing online content, for visiting to the site to view and engage with.

Artist Worlds is an ongoing series of commissions and events that support artistic practices that engage with simulated realities, immersive story-telling and virtual world-building that invites audiences into these worlds to explore and offer insights into these advancing technologies and associated practices, processes and ideas.

The most relevant of these exhibitions is, Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s Catharsis, which utilises immersive story-telling to provide a sensorial experience for the viewer, taking them on a journey of self-reflection and meditative discovery through imagined landscapes and physical installations.

This exhibition is perhaps, the most relevant example of current responses hosted by a contemporary organisation within the Arts & Culture sector that succinctly distills the intentions and tonality of my own desires, for my proposal. The work seamlessly fuses the imagined world with technological innovations and the physical environment in order to tell a story that is pertinent to contemporary discourses.

Jakob Kudsk Steensen brings together physical, virtual, real and imagined landscapes in mixed reality immersive installations. Using a site specific and slow media approach, he reimagines stories of overlooked ecosystems and forgotten natural histories. He is concerned with how imagination, technology and ecology intertwine, investigating how people relate to the natural world on an emotional level. His immersive installations pull the audience into a deeply sensorial and meditative journey. Steensen has been dubbed the “digital gardener. His work stems from the idea that that technology and nature are transforming exponentially faster than we can comprehend and it is vital now more than ever that we connect back to the pulses and energies of the earth, of geological timescales.

In the above film, made available via the Artist’s website, we can observe the multi-layered narratives that populate much of Jakob’s work, and how he combines the virtual landscapes with those that are physical, in order to convey his chosen subject.

Much like the works presented in this short-film, I am endeavouring to document an existing landscape, that being the landscape of the Arts & Culture sector in a post-pandemic society. As part of my proposal, I want to demonstrate how I believe that landscape could both recover and evolve, going forward.

I appreciate that such broad ideas can be difficult to convey, certainly in the guise of a visual-narrative, and that is why I shall first establish the intentions of the project in the form of a manifesto, to be adopted as a metaphorical anchor, that can be deployed throughout the design-development phase of the project, in order to keep the process in-line with the objectives.

Antenna Fantasma

Synopsis:

Antenna Fantasma was a weekly live program of conversations around design, ecology and sustainability hosted by Formafantasma.

Antenna Fantasma was produced during lockdown in response to the temporary closure of Formafantasma’s Cambio exhibition as a way of exploring ideas of ecology and design examined in the show through conversations with designers, architects, academics, scientists and curators who contributed. Guests included Paola Antonelli (MoMA), Stefano Boeri (Architect), Rebecca Lewin (Serpentine Galleries) and more.

Formafantasma (Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin) are designers who dissect the ecological and political responsibilities of their discipline. Their holistic approach reaches back into the history of a particular material used by humans, out towards the patterns of supply chains that have developed to support and expand its use, and forward to the future of that material’s survival in relation to human consumption.

Reflection:

As an admirer of Formafantasma’s work already familiar with their research-led strategies, and how they communicate those findings and solutions in the form of innovative curatorial projects, that seek to inform and engage the consumer.

This series of virtual interviews was created in response to the impact that the pandemic had on a planned exhibition, hosted by the Serpentine. The series began with an interview with Head of Exhibitions and Design, Rebecca Lewin, whom had collaborated with the duo in the delivery of the exhibition, Cambio.

Such responses have been commonplace during the periods of lockdown and have provided a much needed connection to the consumer, as well as collaborators and the wider public. And provide insight into how communication channels could be developed, going forward, demonstrating the benefits of using such platforms, specifically in addressing the current crisis.

Bibliography.

DeWolf, C (2020). Japanese Architect Hiroshi Naito Believes In Designing Architecture for the People [online] asiatatler. Available at: https://sg.asiatatler.com/life/japanese-architect-hiroshi-naito-designs-architecture-for-the-people [Accessed 01 January. 2021].

Serpentine, (2021). Artist Worlds: UBS and Serpentine co-present a live conversation with Jakob Kudsk Steensen and Ben Vickers [online] SerpentineGalleries.org. Available at: https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/artist-worlds/ [Accessed 18 February. 2021].

JakobKudskSteensen, (2021). Conversations [online] JakobKudskSteensen.com. Available at: http://www.jakobsteensen.com/conversation [Accessed 18 February. 2021].

BBC (2020). Free school meals: Marcus Rashford given City of Manchester Award [online] bbc.co.uk. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-54717525 [Accessed 10 January. 2021].