new plans

okay, so we're ditching the driving idea... in favor of something much more interesting.

the installation format will remain similar to our original proposal: there will be a video projection and there will be objects installed in the gallery relating to the video, and there will be a musical component. however, the approach is totally different.

first, we are going to come up with a list of human characteristics and a list of objects or compound objects to represent them - like a code or dictionary. there will also be a musical representation to accompany the visual. then, we are going to interview people and ask them a series of questions of various intensity. for example, a banal question, a question about popular culture, a question about philosophy or religion, etc. at the end of the interview, we show them our symbols without their corresponding characteristics, and we ask them to pick three (or something).

the installation will consist of a rectangular arrangement of cubbies with a central void. the video of the interviews will play in the central void - with the dialog muted out. as each person appears on screen, the objects which are associated with their character will be illuminated, and the corresponding musical representation will be heard. there will be multiple objects illuminated, so there will also be multiple musical representations playing simultaneously.

we're considering the possibility of building a booth in which to interview our participants so that we will have an environment for visual continuity. for next week, we are bringing in films of interviewing people - just to see what it looks like. also, we are starting to compile lists of characteristics and corresponding symbols. we don't want the representations to be directly illustrative - in other words, obvious.