Research Proposal - Final (taehee)

Research Proposal - Final Taehee Kim Digital+Media’10 December 9, 2009

Research Question

How can Mediated Tension be defined in space?

Project title: Aesthetics in Mediated Tension and Extended Self

It is suggested that aesthetics in interaction should substantially emerge by tension in the context of phenomenal sensation. What is believed as liveliness and emotion from artificial objects especially of those kinetic and robotic is thought to be a function of this phenomenal tension. Tension in this sense needs to be further studied and defined. Moreover, phenomenal tension is virtual sensation and virtual sensation is sensation in the virtual world. How can virtual sensation take place in the real world with physical sensation? I believe that all human sensation is virtual as have been suggested in many literatures such as in Buddhism. What are sensed are the reflection of the reality on the mirror of our sensing and perception. I would like to build some object and environment where mediated tension could take place. This mediated tension can only emerge when there is effective mediation. I would like to introduce human audience as the mediator. I would then like to discuss about the virtuality in the context of this kind of tension.

Methodology

A number of robotic sculptures will be built. Every one of them looks at an audience respectively and maintains a tension using a proximity sensor and motion. When more than two robots are engaged, their motions would look to have been mediated by the audience with no

explicit functional relationship programmed. I will discuss the sensation of the audience in this situation in terms of sensation of tension and liveliness. Sound will be introduced in order to add more narrative to the space.

Historical Context

Marcel Duchamp stated “infrathin” as a concept and used it expensively in his works1. Infrathin is found in relationships, contrasts and many transitional moments. According to Duchamp, for instance, objects from a same mould have infrathin. Between the sameness and difference, there is subtle tension. We look at something and that something sometimes turns in to be looked differently from time to time which are different ontological moments. Between different ontological moments, there is very good chance for infrathin to take place. And there is tension between those moments and this is I suppose a kind of infrathin. Difference creates space thus tension. One thing could differ from another as long as they are in the same space or dimension, meaning that they are comparable. Tension of this kind does not necessarily correspond to the degree of the difference. A small difference can create a huge capacity where a lot of tension can take place. This capacity for tension is related to audience perception. Objects from the same mould are almost the same. They are supposed to be the same. But, they are different in many ways: different time of birth; slightly different in shape and materiality; and different identities so as to be given different names which can cause a huge difference. Although they are supposed to be the same, since there are also differences, there is a large capacity for much tension to be created. The amount of tension would largely depend on audience perception, i.e., which way to look at the object. There could be tension or infrathin between a symbol and the object that is being signified by this symbol, because they are different: “The sign … is deferred presence” – Derrida2.

Theoretical Context

1 Marcel Duchamp, notes on inframince from Duchamp Notes, 1980. 2 Jaques De4rrida, “Difference,” from Margins of Philosophy, 1982

In Buddhism, especially in ‘Diamond Sutra’, it is much emphasized that what you all see are copies and the mind of a subject plays a main role in what is seen. Identity of an object is determined by concepts. There could be no definite isolation of an object regardless of the relation with the rest of the world. This concept is stated in Iching and was accommodated by Gertrude Stein, Marcel Duchamp, John Cage and others forming a foundation of modernism in its varieties as ‘indifference’, ‘commonality’, and oneness. Quantum mechanics in physics also suggested ‘law of uncertainty’. The world is composed of molecules and those molecules are uncertain and un-deterministic. How can a super set of uncertain be physically certain? This is only possible by a phenomenological standpoint As in Kalina’s work3 mentioned above, visual snapshot of a self at a certain time is limited in defining the identity. Rather the identity should include the change of self on a timeline. The same is true in the space with time as a constant. One would not be able to be completely identified and described without the reference to the world. One could be identified in terms of relationships and transitions in space and the concept of self should be extended along the transitions and relationships with the world. One is not only identified as an object but also described in terms of moments of transitions and relationships to the surroundings. The one and the rest of the world are interconnected as one piece. This could be referred to as ontological indifference. Oneness mentioned by John Cage4 could be considered to be of this kind and ‘Paramita’, a Buddhist’s bible, has the same lesson. However, strictly speaking, indifference is not ‘nothing’ or nil. There is always something in the real world but it may not be considered to be meaningful or might not be referenced. I would like to suppose that there is tension in indifference. Adopting indifference as a sensation would make one to look the world and maintain a light tension. I would suggest that it should be a kind of infrathin and can have a lot of playfulness, i.e., space for drama.

Material Choices

Wires, woods, rubber, and sponge are tested for robot body. Various motors and sensors will be used. Robot hung in a wooden frame will be 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B26asyGKDo 4 John Cage, Silence: Lectures and Writings, 1973.

tested. Interaction with human audience will also be tested. Installation in an interior space will be considered in conjunction with robotic sculptures. In addition, air is thought to be very interesting material. Confined air could have physical tension. Ejected air could create extruded tension. Air is in a sense thought to be empty but is a form. This multi face of air could be a good source to create infrathin. Strings can be used as instrumental elements. They maintain tensions and produce many different kinds of different sounds. Localized thus spatial manipulation results in difference in sound, which is very interesting.