Play in Reverse goes publicPosted by åsa Thu, June 18, 2009 15:44:16On 4th June 2009 Play in Reverse in its present form was swinging at the Resolution EXIT exhibition at K3, Malmö University, thanks to the gorgeous students Matilda Marcelius, Karin Amberntsson and Kajsa Sahlström Gren.
There’s supposed to be a
webcast, for those of you who couldn’t make it, showing bits and pieces of works made by students as well as by researchers and teachers at K3, and also a
site with links to the works.Our framing was different from before. The swing made of spruce tree from Småland was there, with a rag rug from Småland underneath and a table cloth with a book where we had written: “Telling together. Write down fragments: reflections, observations, associations. What are you doing? What are you thinking of? What are others doing? What are you doing together?”
Matilda, Karin and Kajsa came a few days afterwards and handed over some pics and talked us through their experience of hosting the swing.
Placement The swing was placed down some stairs outside of the Black Box, where the rest of the exhibition took place. Nobody just happened to pass by. They meant that this posed a bigger challenge to invite people to try and explore it since it wasn’t where the other things were. On the other hand it would have been competing with all the other works had it been in the Black Box. Play in Reverse is big, loud and takes up a lot of space. Using it also means that you’re taking up a lot of space and you have to be comfortable with swamping the common space if you’re using it in a confined area. We’ve already seen so many people who hesitate to try it, looking at their own bodies and imagining what noise they will make and what attention they will attract that even more constraints could have been devastating.
Considering the pros and cons Kristina and Åsa are satisfied that Play in Reverse had its own space. The challenge of inviting people just has to be worked with. We prefer if a few people pay close attention to Play in Reverse, try it, hang out rather than that a lot of people have seen it without having used it with their bodies.
MeaningSome of the people who walked down the stairs to Play in Reverse were asking: “What is it, what does it mean?” It’s reoccurring to hear that participants are looking for a given meaning. They want to be told what it is, what it’s good for.
Karin was suggesting we should have better instructions. Perhaps a how-to-video. å+k were suggesting that the “hosts” are the ones passing on instructions. “Yes, but it would be good if there was ways of understanding it with more senses”, Karin said. Point taken.
RecordingThere seems to have been questions about how to record, such as: “How long sequences of recordings can be done?”. Perhaps the computer, where the recording took place, also was a hurdle. A computer signals ‘the artists tool’ more than something for the participants. Good thing that we’ll have a button and a microphone separate from the computer in the exhibition at Ronneby Kulturcentrum.
However, of those who did recordings most of them said the name of their friend and “hej hej!”
A group of four friends were playing around. They were joking with each other, gave each other messages. One of them thought it was a good thing that it was all downstairs. “Like coming down to a treasure, because it was a good installation”. They also said that “the simplest interaction is the most funny”.
A parent with two children is there. One of the children, a girl of about four years tries the swing. She’s swinging and swinging. When Kajsa records something like “Once upon a time…” the girl listens fascinated. The parent records a grunting sound, but when it’s being played out the parent finds it disturbing, embarrassing and record a softer sound, like a meowing cat.
Children Is Play in Reverse for children? Yes, but it’s not cool of parents to leave their children and then say to the host “thanks for the baby sitting”.
Kajsa, Matilda and Karin has written in the notebook: “Children love it! It’s like a magnet.” But also: “If you’re very small a swing can be a bit scary.”
Thanks Kajsa, Karin and Matilda!
/å+k
ConstructionPosted by kristina Mon, March 30, 2009 18:28:01A two-day workshop with student from the course “Illustrating with sounds”
The first day we hung the swing in the stairs, leading to the basement of K3. People were passing by. The sounds from the swing got mixed with sounds from slamming doors, people working late in the workshop and the vending machine. On the second day there was a rock concert in the blackbox, so we had to move the swing into our office, where it was completely silent, allowing the sound from the swing to be in focus, with no disturbance. One of the students said that they had made the sounds for the open space by stairs, and not for this silent and crammed office space.
Where to place the speakers? Beside the swing? In front of the swing? Or in front as well as behind, letting one speaker play the sound forward and the other in reveres? Would this enhance the feeling of ephemeral character of sound and swinging. Trying to catch the sound, but always loosing it.
Sound of breaking glass and silence. I’m trying to catch the sounds, as if they were placed in the space. But it is mostly silent.
The way we in the in our office space made the swing even more into a scene than it usually is. Sitting in rows, all with our faces directed towards the person sitting on the swing. Åsa decided to face the other way as she was swinging. As a result of her position the sound was played in reverse when she moved forward.
How does it feel to be on the swing? It feels like I’m in a machine. Like a hamster in a wheel. The sound needs the power of the swing to be played.
My feet can’t reach the ground as I’m on the swing. It makes me feel like I’m floating. Or like I’m a child.
The most interesting sounds are created in the transitions from one sound to the other, Åsa mentioned. Can we work more with that? Or do we need the monotony as well? Otherwise there will not be that much of a transition.
I can’t hear when the footsteps are being played in reverse. They sounds, forward and reverse, are almost the same. But the background sound tells me that I’m going back and forth.
Reoccurring sounds: music box (speldosa), laughter, scary sounds, crushing glass, music, waves, wind. Most sounds sound scary in reverse.
ConstructionPosted by åsa Mon, October 06, 2008 16:25:25Testing the swing with students in Interaction design IDK2 in the Black box, at K3, Malmö högskola.
It’s the first time we try it out with the new added feature: possibility to record on location while it is in use.
I like the idea of recording while the swing is in use because it allows for more people to participate at the same time. Earlier it was basically just the person swinging who were a participant, but now you can participate in the installation through several “entrances” and on several levels.
We were using this new feature and studying each other using it for several hours in the Black box.
Nina expressed that she thought it was fun to hunt the sounds while being on the swing. I understand that as if she wanted to hear more, wanted to hear a continuation, wanted to win… making it into a game more than understanding it as a play. Earlier on the group had asked “what’s it like to swing if the sound loop is linear?” I think a linear version of the sound adds to the understanding of Play in Reverse as a game, more than a play.
Karin was talking about the room, continuing our discussions about how the room influences the understanding and use of the swing, and said something along the line of what would happen if the recording was done in another room?
To start with, I noticed how the ones recording directed the recordings to the one swinging. But, as Karin asked, what would it be like if the recording was done somewhere else?
I was thinking: what happen if you’re not even close by? If you call the installation? If we can make Play in Reverse work both locally but also from a distance. You could be anywhere, not seeing who is swinging. What would you say then? Would you still direct it to an imagined person on the swing? Adding a phone-feature would solve the problem of microphone and input, since there is a microphone in every telephone.
Karin also suggested that we use two microphones for participants to work with collaborative storytelling.
Another observation I made was that when the sounds were recorded in the same room as the swing was in everybody got very close the sounds, emotionally and bodily. There was laughter and immediate reactions of surprise as soon as the recorded sounds came through the speakers. I have seen this many times in other contexts where the act of having your voice amplified through a system makes people become very self conscious. In this case the ones recording were also able to see and experience the others reactions on their own voices.
Kajsa was saying that she was trying to envision the abstract sounds from Athens, trying to see them in her head. In the case when we were recording the sounds in the room that kind of imagination did not take place since the source of the sounds was in the same room and the whole process was transparent. Perhaps a matter of abstract versus concrete.
There is no moment of surprise since you’ve heard the recording as the recording took place, but there is an element of suspense and surprise when the voice is processed. What will it sound like?
Karin was also noting that it is in the metaphorical “splicing” of the backwards and forward-sounds that it happens…. “It” as in, I guess, where the interesting stuff appears to you as a participant. It is probably also linked to how the voice changes. Somebody expressed, while the sentence was: - “Fortsätt att gunga till benen gör ont!” (continue swinging until your legs hurt) that it became as if two people were talking to each other: one demanding voice (the forward sound) and one devilish voice (the slower, backward sound).
Nina was saying that we don’t really need a grand, linear story, that is difficult to come up with. It’s interesting enough just to hear what happens with a couple of words. Like “yellow t-shirt”.
Nina started to record “Kajsa bajsa” while Kajsa was using the swing. Kajsa heard Nina record it, but jumped off the swing before the sounds had started to be played out in the speakers. Kajsa had earlier said: “You’re still in control although somebody else is recording on location since you can stop the sounds from being heard by not using the swing. By getting off it.” And so she did. She didn’t want the recorded material to be heard out loud, so she didn’t use the swing. And she could have made sure she or somebody else recorded something else.
Kajsa was also saying that it was greater to swing when there were nice sounds. Kristina then added that the one using the swing can negotiate with the one recording what it should sound like.
Nina and Karin were commenting on what happened when one recording was added on top of another recording. “It sounds like two or three people discussing and arguing with each other. It’s a man and a woman. Our bright female voices became male. It’s fun to start playing with that.”
Another idea was to add a power generator so the installation became self sufficient in power supply since the swinging should be able to generate some electricity.
Play in Reverse goes publicPosted by kristina Tue, April 29, 2008 12:02:33The sound
file in it self is only about two minutes long. But since the swing takes you
back and forth in the sound, and only takes small steps forward, you need about
20 minutes to hear the all of it.
Sounds like Athens (mp3) >>
Everyday we
added sounds to the swing, to include sounds recorded on location. Perhaps to compensate
for the lack in interactivity - the system we made did not make it possible for
the participants to provide with content on location.
Watch movie >>
Play in Reverse goes publicPosted by åsa Tue, April 29, 2008 11:42:14field recordings, some new added each day, moved back and forth as the swing was in almost constant use during the athens video art festival from 11 april to 13 april.
the digital sounds was unfortunately not at its best, to be diplomatic, since the equipment provided was below all standards. it must never happen again!
the analoge sounds from the rope, on the other hand, was a constant source of joy, impossible to turn up or turn down.
and people really seemed to like play in reverse. a lot of the visitors – we think there were more than 5000 – were surprised that they could use it. some hesitated when they heard the quirky sounds of the hemp-rope. would it fall down? no, no incidents. in other cases:
- it’s scary.
- what’s scary?
- the sounds. the digital sounds.
play in reverse is silent when nobody is swinging and some were almost startled when they first heard the sounds coming from the mouths of the old gas ovens, where we had placed the four speakers.
- I feel exposed, one girl said.
the swing in itself defines space and creates a scene. this was emphasised by the green grass-looking carpet. the installation attracted a lot of attention and so did all of the people who were swinging. however, you could go from passive to active and be both an on-looker and a user.
one man who was swinging exceptionally high said afterwards that he had heard
- come on, come on
as in: higher, higher. when we replied that there is no such sounds in the field recordings he continued:
- well, I guess I heared what I expected to, or wanted to, hear…
inevitably people became very bodily. some got extremely conscious of their bodies and therefore declined swinging, others said they felt weightless. a frequent comment was how they felt like a child again.
å+k and/or curare were present almost all the time during the opening hours of the festival. it was a necessary and very good part. we got to meet a lot of people, were able to invite, answer and ask questions as well as explain the idea, concept and construction. a hilarious moment was when a couple of women tried to explain to US how play in reverse is constructed. that’s when we got really surprised.
future:
- continue to do work that surprise us. continue to do work where we learn all the time and where we don’t know in advance WHAT we will learn.
- next time we hope to be able to install it with a swing where more than one person can fit in. we never really intended to make it such a closed installation. the participants can basically just choose between on and off. the swing is an interface much like the on and off-button. and there is very limited possibility to participate on more than one level. we usually strive for participation on several levels.
- the swing and the sounds more and more came out as some kind of scratching on vinyl. would be great to collaborate with a dj. a choreographer. a music video-maker. a fashion show. a stage performance.
the ten day long stay in athens wouldn’t have been possible without generous support from swedish institute at athens and the embassy of sweden, athens.
great thank yous also go to curare, bengt, george, caterina, cristos, bios, stephen, dimitris and all the others who enlightened our stay in athens.
one more thing: despite the horrible air quality and treatment of migrants in athens, we’ve rarely been to such big city centres in europe where there is still a mix of stores specialised in ropes, screws and what have you that can be of use for installing a swing-installation (next to chain stores of course, but you get our point on regeneration…).
ConstructionPosted by åsa Mon, April 14, 2008 08:22:29three intense days during the athens video art festival are coming to an end. today we will untie the knots we so gratefully have learnt by naval architect george prantalos to make. the american ambassador to greece was the first one to try it on the opening of the festival on friday. he said congratulations (twice) and from there on it's been predominantly positive response. we'll write more about all the reactions and thoughts and reflections as soon as we've had a rest.
ConstructionPosted by åsa Wed, April 02, 2008 18:40:11the short delay and vinyl-retro-sound we've been experiencing in our prototype when the swing turns from backwards to forward and from forward to backwards was eventually too bellyaching for k, so this morning she surprised å with a new programme. tadata: starting the prototyping in processing and now trying out max/msp. goodgood. a small step for womankind, but a giant step for
Play in Reverse. perhaps pd is the next celestial body to conquer in this adventurous learning process.
we celebrated the progress with looking for sounds on our harddrives to be inspired by and perhaps bring into the athens-mix for the swing. and bought spareparts, just in case something would break.
BackgroundPosted by åsa Sun, March 30, 2008 22:47:55trying to invite for participation involves an element of unpredictability. it's not like a burnt dvd that you can trust to perform impeccably at the exhibition. in participatory situations you have to trust people, although/despite/because people are unpredictable. participants make the story in
Play in Reverse non-linear compared to, for example, a well sculpted and finished video art work.
and of course, there are worried questions about safety and security in athens. they are very welcome. we don't want anybody to get hurt. but aren't they a little late - a week or two before the festival?
Play in Reverse has been on it's way to this festival for more than half a year. the alcohol served at the festival is probably more of a safety question than the swing.
anyway, a swing is a swing and people who are using it will have to act somewhat responsible as well. just like they would do if they went to a playground just like everywhere else. but, yeah, i guess this is better than the times we've had ideas for interactive art works stopped because the producers were too scared, at the end of the day, to let the unpredictable pariticipating people into art works. although they asked for it in the first place... many cold feet have been tipping on their toes around us.
we've done this kind of projects for almost five years now, and we've been trying to learn from mistakes. we're trying make use of all of our previous experiences. but curators and structures need to adjust to the aesthetics and unpredictability that come along with participation. we'll do our best to ensure that
Play in Reverse is a thrilling and thoughtprovoking as well as bodily experience. and we'll be present to safeguard the participants' experience.
