As globalization creates a more homogenous and corporatized
landscape, is it possible to carve out a space of one's
own? How can we subvert dominant trajectories by allowing imagination
to transform and reclaim an increasingly privatized landscape?
sub/merg/ency is a space created through the
reflection of how we, as a public, locate, ground, connect and
find support for ourselves within our communities and environments. In
the physical space of sub/merg/ency perception
is skewed. There is no horizon. Time and movement slow down.
Sounds become indeterminate. Our sense of smell diminishes and
memories triggered by the scent of a favorite meal or a familiar
street begin to fade. In this state of disorientation, our usual
behaviors and actions become subverted and we must rethink the
ways we engage with our environment. In order to regain
our "bearings" we must find ways to navigate the
physical architectures of the real as well as the invisible topographies
of the imaginary.
Through the use of narrative and a live internet stream, the
performance connected two spaces, the subaqueous space of submergency
and the physical space of the laboratory.
The laboratory located in Nottingham, UK, was open to the public
and served as a testing ground for collectively inventing and
constructing objects that would help orient the performer lost
in the space of submergency. Participants created objects based
on themes relevant to the lost performers sense of disorientation
and dislocation: shortcuts and wormholes in the section on "time
and distance";
scent and memory triggering devices in "grounding and buoyancy" and
site lines and communal structures in "nodes and networks".
During the 4-day performance, remote participants uploaded
images from their own communities to the sub/merg/ency website.
The images created a global portrait of the site lines and
markers we use to locate, ground and connect ourselves in an
endlessly shifting landscape.
Time/Distance
In the vast space of sub/merg/ency there
is no horizon, no cardinal points and thus no solid sense of
direction. Time and movement slow down and become distorted.
One must travel further in an attempt to catch up, which is difficult
without a beginning or an end in sight.
Grounding/Buoyancy
In the gravity-less space of sub/merg/ency one
is adrift; free from restraints but also lacking ties
of support. In this buoyant state perception is skewed.
Sounds are indeterminate. Sense of smell diminishes and memories
triggered by the scent of a favorite meal or a familiar street
begin to fade. Without the weight of one's history one must find
other ways to anchor.
Nodes/Networks
At some point we will disconnect. Within the space of sub/merg/ency there
are no fixed addresses, no phone numbers. How will structures of
support, a sense of security and a feeling of community be maintained?
How might the weather, a story or a stain on a surface become
shared experiences for regaining contact?
sub/merg/ency is a commissioned project for
the
2005 Radiator Festival
for New Technology Art > |
