Activate: To Do for March 17

Hi Class:

First off, we've been moved out of 1425. Until further notice, all classes will occur in room 274 at 100 McCaul.

Good work on Monday! I know it was painful and far too short, but there were many promising ideas on the table, all of which will undoubtedly inform your final intervention. More importantly, you're coming together very maturely as a group, and I look forward to working with you to bring your ideas to fruition over the next few weeks.

You have rallied around an as-yet hazy idea about collecting. This could potentially incorporate a moving collection machine; an appeal for students to bring something to donate; the subsequent re-distribution/installation/documentation of the items collected; the ceremonious destruction of all items at the end of the event. . . among other possibilities.

FOR NEXT WEEK: In groups of four or five, assigned below, develop the idea as follows.

1. Brainstorm how to best create a compelling experience centred on the notion of collecting. Look into precedents that address similar content. Review the constraints on the installation: time, location, material and cost. Come to class on March 17 with one new storyboard that fully details your proposition. We will then collectively amalgamate the propositions into a single effort.
   
2. Each group has been temporarily assigned to a team. Propose the items that this team must address, propose a means to address them, and propose a schedule. For example, you may determine that the Promotions team should design and print stickers by March 22nd, have a website live by March 24th, and print "object collection team" t-shirts for everyone in the class to wear by March 26th.

It is essential that you meet/communicate as a team before the beginning of class on March 17th. I appreciate that this can be challenging. It is not absolutely required that you meet in person, but all team members must be given an opportunity to contribute. Co-ordinating our efforts will be a continual challenge throughout this Project.

For this reason, make use of the blog. Post anything and everything you come up with to the blog, with the label Project 3. There will be nothing else clogging the blog prior to the launch of Activate on March 26, so navigation should be simple. In this way, everyone in our large group can be kept up to speed.

Temporary Teams

The teams will be re-arranged as per your interests in class on March 17th.

Other things of note:
-Promotions: I will have an Activate graphic for your use shortly.
-Promotions: it has been suggested that the existing OCAD visual identity be employed as part of your branding efforts - especially the orange, blue and pink colours. What do you think?
-Constructions/Materials: there are large translucent coroplast panels available to borrow, but we can't damage them. Those of you who took Form and Structure with me in the fall should know what these are.
-Constructions: there are plinths available, but we can't damage them.
-Materials: there are always great scrap materials in the shops.
-Logistics: we will have access to the great hall as of 6PM on March 24, two days prior to the event.
-Documentations/Logistics: arrangements for cameras and other equipment should be made early. . . as in right away. Better to book and then cancel then to not be able to book at all.

See you on Monday!

Activate: Floor Plans

Activate: Precedents/Inspirations

Hi All:

Below is a very brief summary of the broad assortment of things we looked at (and some things we didn't look at) as precedent/inspiration for Project Three: Activate currently underway.


French conceptual artist Sophie Calle (presented by Maier Yagod to our Monday class):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Calle
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1372510,00.html


Toronto artist/architect/activist Adrian Blackwell (who spoke to our Wednesday class):
http://www.ald.utoronto.ca/people/faculty/bios/adrian_blackwell
http://criticalspatialpractice.blogspot.com/2006/09/adrian-blackwell.html



From Tori's New Media presentation:

David Rokeby:
http://homepage.mac.com/davidrokeby/home.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ai49w7QPPY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GALMmVZ49Pc

Stelarc:
http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/

Norm White
http://www.normill.ca/ (a terrible site)



From my Urban Interventions presentation:

REBAR collaborative, who install temporary parks:
http://www.rebargroup.org/projects/parking/

Wade Toronto, saving Toronto's wading pools through fun interactive installations:
http://www.wadetoronto.com/

Toronto Public Space Committee:
http://www.publicspace.ca/

Illegal Art:
http://illegalart.org/

Gorbet Design:
http://www.gorbetdesign.com/

Toronto Sculpture Garden:
http://www.torontosculpturegarden.com

Nuit Blanche Toronto:
http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/

Popular Ideas - Project 3

CHAOS ROOM. zunera waheed

One day Jhon entered The Lambert lounge he saw the room full with tubes attached from the walls with chains.

He started going though those tubes.

The tubes were heavy that’s why he didn’t move the tubes; he passed the tubes by going from inside. He got very frustrated; on the other hand he was having fun.

Finally he reached the exit door.

project 3_ Banafshe

Project 3 - Zack Shields

While walking somewhere downtown for lunch. Joe is consumed with too many thoughts in his head. Stresses at work, relationship problems, and an over all gereral low moral. Joe finds himself searching for an inner harmony he can’t quite find. He knows he must just focus on what needs to be done and do it. But the stress is preventing him from seeing things in a positive cause and effect manor. Getting one job done, will allow him to accomplish the next. Even the choice of where to eat lunch seems overwhelming hard. A detour through Grange Park might inspire a food craving. The park on this particular day is a buzz with people walking around interacting with strange installations that require closer inspection. Joe finds himself in front of something familiar. It’s a life-sized version of Newton’s Cradle. Remembering grade 11 physics class Joe picks up one of the end balls and drops it, colliding with the next ball it starts the chain of events. Joe is instantly mesmerized by the harmony and rhythm of the balls. Waching them move back and forth somehow calms his thoughts and allows him to think more clearly.

Project 3, Concept - Amanda Compagnone

Nancy was walking through Butterfield Park when she saw a line up so big she couldn’t see the end of it, or tell what it was for. She walked down the street for about 15 minutes, the whole time wondering what the line was for and how her life would change if she had waited in that line. Nancy then turned around on the spot, and went to wait in line with the rest of the cool kids to see this miraculous mystery that waits at the other end of the line. While she was patiently waiting she overheard multiple conversations about what was at the other end, little did she know these people created the event and where purposely making up the buzz. She also had no idea that there was nothing at the other end of the line; even though it seemed that the line was moving ahead slowly, every so often it would move back and she would never get to the front. Regardless she waited in line all day, until finally after wasting her entire day; she fell asleep... in line.

"If there's a line up it must be good!"
It’s easy, it’s cheap, and best of all… NO WASTE!

Project 3 - Andrey Chernykh

Phil has been walking carrying his heavy grocery bags for over half an hour on a delightful sunny day. When Phil was running out of strength and just could not walk any longer he noticed a little house. Right beside the entrance there was a note and it said, "How comfy are you? Phil was very confused by the little house and it looked like it just appeared out of nowhere. He decided to enter and once he did, he saw lots of soft pillows and blankets all around the little room, even on the walls! Phil became really happy and without hesitation jumped in the pile of softness. "OHH! YEAHH!" he said as he curled up in all the blankets. After he relaxed enough, he noticed a big marker laying on the floor. Phil decided to respond to the question posed to him at the door. After that, he got up he felt relaxed and a lot stronger!! He then grabbed his heavy bags which did not feel heavy at all anymore and happily ran home.

Project 3 - Leigh McLaughlin

Nicole . Storyboard

Project 2 - Alex Goldsmith

Micro-Hoops

Pitch
Based on the very basic game of trying to throw a hoop around a target , Micro-hoops puts an educational twist on a classic game. Not only will children have fun, but they will also be developing their hand eye coordination along with learning fun facts about all different fields of science. In an age where video games have such a stranglehold on the younger generation, it is imperative that we begin to put further research into games which aide in the development of children's brains instead of creating a population of kids with short attention spans. Micro-hoops marks the beginning of a pivotal movement in the entertainment industry, one leading to a brighter and more focused society.

Items:
1 Hoop
1 Micro-hoops microscope
50 Info cards

How to Play
With a friend or multiple friends grab your hoop and Micro-hoops microscope as well as the information cards and stand roughly 5 feet back of the microscope. Each red marked area on the microscope is worth a different amount of points and leads to a question of tougher difficulty. Remember: you can only get your points if you answer the question correctly. Each player has 3 tries to get the hoop around the microscope but only one attempt at a correct answer to the question.

Improvements
After discussing the game with friends we came to a couple conclusions for potential improvements in the game. First of all, the hoop that came with the game needed to be a bit heavier. This is because on many occasions the hoop would go around on of the marked areas but bounce off. Second, the microscope itself could be substantially larger in order to have a greater attraction to younger children, as well as making it easier to get the hoop around the larger target. Finally, we concluded that the microscope could be inflated so that even if the kids lose interest in the learning aspect of the game they could kick it around and play on it.

(Once again, images not uploading)

Project 3 - Song Kim

Lisa walked through butterfield park for to attend OCAD Art history class. As she walk through the buttefield park, she saw bunch of people looking at the peculiar board. She was also curious about it so she walked closer to the board to see more clearly. The board was very simple. It was a white board and 3 ~4 of movie posters attached. Everyone was curious about the movie posters and board because there was no explanation or information given. When Lisa looked closer, she notice that movie poster had a background sticker. So she decided to peel off the poster. When she pull the movie poster ( a typical movie poster - Sixth Sense 1999) , there was a notice says " Spoiler! - The Malcom Crow (Bruce Willis ) is the Ghost". She immidiately noticed that this board was about movie spoiler ! she's been fooled by the board. She was really disappointed because she did not see the movie yet. When she was tricked, she became naughty so she wanted to trick someone else, so she wrote another spoiler beside the poster.

This movie poster board is considering a interaction about viewer's psychologic mind - a Guilty Pleasure -"A guilty pleasure is known as a something one considers pleasurable despite it being mainly received negatively or looked down on by a majority of society. References to guilty pleasures are often used in terms of the arts and entertainment, such as music, film, and television and other aspects of popular culture." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilty_pleasure

Allison Lawson - Project 3

Click to enlarge.

project 3 - Milena

my scanner stopped working, so i took a picture of the storyboard. it might be hard to read.
my concept is large lego boxes , made out of cardboard. People can make stuff out of them and then at the end of the day each lego can be taken home and used as furniture.

Project 3 - Alex Goldsmith

Dave is from Ottawa and is exploring downtown Toronto when he spots, out of the corner of his eye, a bunch of paper airplanes floating through the sky. He is intrigued to find a rather boisterous event taking place at Butterfield Park. Dave walks over to a stand where the planes seemed to come from and takes a closer look. Upon arrival he notices instructions on how to make a paper airplane as well as how to mark the place in which it lands with specific red flags. After Dave constructs his airplane to the best of his abilities he throws it and then grabs a red flag to mark where the plane landed. On the way to retrieve his paper airplane Dave notices dozens of red flags blowing in the wind... neat! After he picks up his plane and plants his flag, Dave brings his paper back to the stand to throw in the recycling bin. Feeling good for contributing to the experience he goes to enjoy the other attractions.

Project 3 Storyboard - Emily

Project 3 Proposal~Mark O.

Ryan was riding his bike through Butterfield Park on his way to Aboveground when he noticed a strange box outside on the grass. Intrigued, he walked towards it and saw that it was actually an enclosed room. He saw the door leading the way in and wondered why there was no instructions or sign that would explain this odd thing. He opened the door and saw a room with envelopes in it that appeared to be hanging from the ceiling. On the wall it said "there is a prize in each of these envelopes." Jim was suddenly happy that he stumbled upon this room and that a prize awaited him. He jumped for the first envelope but could not reach it. He found an envelope that was slightly closer to him and grabbed it right away. Inside was a tissue. Ryan was mildly disappointed but was also curious what lay ahead and proceeded through the next door. The next room was all black and at the end on a black stand was the shiniest and biggest trophy Jim had ever seen with an enormous #1 on it. He walked towards it with a fascination for what it was awarded for and for whom. When he was right next to it he read the small print on the bottom which said "world's biggest loser". Ryan felt different, he couldn't describe it but there was something this place did to him. He continued through the rooms and each one contained something that was not as it originally seemed. After he had been misleaded several times he walked into a room that was completley white, sterile looking and the only other thing in the room with him was a white stand with a white box on it. He walked to the box and opened it. It was empty. Ryan looked again. At the bottom of the box was one single word, disappointed. Ryan now understood the message the box was trying to tell him, men in general judge more from appearances than from reality, all men have eyes, but few have the gift for penetration.

Project 3 Rob Looije

Jim is walking through Butterfield Park, as he does everyday from work on his way home. As he walks, he can hear a faint voice, he begins to look around. He is taken out of his usually Zombie walk, and he begins to become more aware of his surroundings. He notices that there are pillow in groups of three and four, spread randomly around the park. Within the groupings of pillows is a small speaker. Jim realizes that the speaker is the source of the unknown voice. He approaches one of the groups of pillows, puts his briefcase down, and lays down, resting his head upon the provided pillow. It is at this point that Jim realizes that under the marvel of architecture to which we walks under every day, there was now a visual projection. He listens closely to the audio that is playing through the speak, that is now close to his ear, it speaks of environmental issues, consumerism, waste etc… But as he looks above to the video projected on the belly of the OCAD building, all he sees is ads, infomercials, and constant consumer greed. Ads, to which he had become used to, things he had actually bought, now seemed wasteful and regretful. As he lays there, more people join him, conversations begin within the groups about the ads, or about issues of the environment. Jim eventually leaves, the park, with a greater appreciation for the ads that try and influence him, and the actual influence he has on the environment around him.

Project 3- Jenny Kassen

A SEND OFF TO WINTER




It is the end of March, and every one is thrilled to see the sun come back out.

After having endured a cold, hard winter, Sophie is quite pleased to see the weather warming up.

While walking through Butterfield Park, Sophie notices that someone has filled the concrete sitting area with ice.

Enraged at having the winter intrude on her perfect spring day, Sophie charges towards the
ice with the intention of crushing it to bits.

Her anger dissolves as Sophie realizes that she can actually skate on the ice.

Joy creeps into her heart, and her frown melts into a smile, as she realizes that she can enjoy this winter sport in the comfort of the sunshine.

As the day progresses, the ice melts into a small wading pool, giving winter a proper send off, as ice makes way for summer swims and sunburns.

Sophie feels better about the whole situation, and thinks that this summer will make up for the tons of snow piled on her during the witer.

the end.

marlissa flint: proposal

My idea has to do with grange park. i thought the location might be important to the project and i also thought that it might be cool to involve the community. the grange has a long, rich history and we could recreate the grange of 1817.









the other idea. marigold finds a camera, on it there is a tag that reads "use me to take some photos and then please return me where i was found" so she takes a whole bunch of photos of trees, grass, wading pools and a climbing apparatus. then she places it where she found it. she then sees that there are many of these cameras placed all around the park as well as photos of trees pinned to trees, photos of grass tied to grass and photos of slides taped to the slide.

Project 3 - Alex Goldsmith

Project 3 - Phase 2: Inbal's Idea

Project 2 Rob Looije

With the recent success of the Nintendo Wii system, it has become apparent that physical interaction with entertainment is an attractive attribute. The overall social consciences, is that we as a nation, need to become more active, too long have we been simple spectators, we need to become involved. With this in mind, the development of this game began. In the past card games, and board games etc… were reserved for rainy or lazy days, we wanted to change that habit. Our goal was to take the “old fashion” game, and create a fun new social experience. Photo Hunt utilizes new technology, to transform and revitalize a “classic” game. The concept of the scavenger hunt has been around for quite a long time, but we have now brought it to a new generation. Designed to be a team or group game, Photo Hunt encourages participants to go out side, and take photos and socialize.


Within the boxed game, are included two low cost digital cameras, a gender coin, and three sets of cards.
HOW TO PLAY
Flip the gender coin. (Based on a coin flip you determine if your “target” is male or female)

Pick cards from the three sets, the more cards, the more specific the person becomes. The blue set of cards are physical attributes, orange cards are items, and green cards are physical actions. As shown in the example, the cards “Tall”, “Blue Shirt” and “funny face” were drawn from the game.

Aside from taking funny pictures, the game also helps to promote social interaction, and communication skills.

IMPROVEMENTS
After testing with friends, it was found that this game was subject to profiling, that shy people or people who live in residential areas with very low pedestrian traffic would not be able to play this game. Therefore changes in the execution of the game was made, an alternative playing style was made an option. If chosen, the game can be played entirely inside, with friends and family. You would simply play without the orange cards, changing the game from a hunting game, to a posing game. Combinations of the green cards would create an increased difficulty in the pose needed to perform for the photo.