Proposal for Unit 3
During the practical work of Unit 2, I used interactive art to engage with the audience, exploring the dynamics of power in a post-truth society and how they influence people's perceptions. However, due to mechanical limitations of the installation, the interactive experience did not yield a satisfactory result. For the Unit 3 exhibition, I intend to continue exploring the impact of power on individuals and attempt a new interactive method to communicate with the audience. If time permits, I will improve the Unit 2 equipment to provide a better experience.
Since the Unit 3 exhibition date is approaching, I do not have enough time to create a technically focused installation like in Units 1 and 2. I plan to adopt a solution akin to conceptual art, retaining the metaphor of the sphere and its connotations of truth. This time, however, I hope to guide the audience to shift their focus from external truth to internal truth.
My work will include a fan placed on the ground, a 2-meter diameter PVC hollow sphere, a computer, and a camera. The fan will blow the sphere to float in mid-air. When the audience tries to approach or touch the sphere, the computer connected to the camera will detect their movement and adjust the fan's power to blow the sphere higher. This way, the audience cannot successfully touch the sphere. This interactive process simulates the pursuit of external truth. Continuing the idea from Unit 2, whether truth exists for individuals in the post-truth era is a question. Thus, this exhibition will provide the audience with an "unsuccessful" interactive experience to convey a point: when you try to chase truth in the material world, it will elude you. Meanwhile, I advocate for focusing on personal freedom and choice. We should not passively wait to accept the truth provided by the external world but actively think, observe, and choose what we want to believe in. Relevant theories include existentialism and Wang Yangming's philosophy of the mind.
However, making a 2-meter diameter sphere float out of the audience's reach while leaving a safe distance poses stringent requirements for the venue. This means the exhibition space needs to be at least 5 meters high. I hope to find a suitable location to realize this concept, but to address the lack of sufficient space, I have also prepared an alternative: a 1-meter diameter balloon, which still requires the exhibition space to be 4 meters high. Perhaps I could exhibit it outside the building?
*I need three power outlets. The fan will generate noise, which may affect nearby works.
Regarding the Research Festival, I do not have a complete idea yet. The initial plan is to continue displaying the improved works from Units 2 and 3, while also writing an essay to explore the dynamics of power and related artworks within a broader context and literature.