GMU:Spacial Information Lab/Angelica Sohn

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Spatial Information Lab

Day 1: Concept and organization

Concept

For my free project Hic et Nunc, I am exploring the theme of communication and perception due to microcosms and macrocosms. In short, each individual lives with two universes: the brain in which a chemical, biological, and electrical activities control our behavior and the surrounding universe in which they constantly receive perceptual (visual and auditory) cues.
For this course, I would like to pursue a derivative of the aforementioned concept. Each movement we make is made up of many small movements, but we often fail to notice how many complex motions have to work correctly to visually communicate our message. In a sense, body langauge itself is a language, and motion without recognizable elements creates a unique identity. Therefore, the work will be presented in a video, in which the contrast of the small and big movements will be separated. Each participant will convey specific emotions or movements according to the direction. The individual movements from the bigger gesture, ie. individual muscular movements, facial muscles, shoulders, twitching, will be grouped and shown all together to present our unspoken and subconsciously understood language. Then, the whole movement will be shown, displaying the complex process of using many different body parts to convey what we thought to be one emotion.
Capturing the moment things break down is also an interesting observation to add to the list of actions. For this part of the concept, I have asked participants, usually in pairs, to drive their Partners to their breaking Point.

Designated actions

sitting still
standing still
stomping
singing
talking (repetition of certain words)
smiling/laughing
display of emotions through body language

Day 2 Blender Screenshots

Angle 1
Angle 2
Angle 3






Weekend 2

Experiment began with working with two participants who were first asked to stay as calm and emotionless as possible. Their goal for the experiment was to push the other person to their breaking point, usually through laughter. It is a telling indicator about us that people chose the same approach.