L6 Exhibition PDP

I had been pretty set on having my work in a series of boxes since the start of the second term. I think that it went a long way to amplifying the message of my project. Introspection is a big part of my project, along with the idea that the narrative is with in a consciousness. Having the gifs and models in the boxes forces the viewer to look inside and inspect the contents.

I first thought that I wanted 9 gifs for the 9 levels of hell, but I wasn’t sure how to present them. There was also the issue that I quite wanted real 3D models incorporated somehow, as I thought that having real, visceral models exploring something that is so intangible was interesting. I thought about other ways to add movement and interaction to my exhibition. I considered automatons, augmented reality, projections onto sets, and iPads in front of real models.

I first thought that I would try real sets, with interactive lights that the viewer could switch on and off. These worked quite well, and I did like the lights that could be switched on and off, but the models weren’t quite good enough quality to display on their own, and it was a bit of a shame not to have any animation, when the models lend themselves so well to it.

I tried to come up with a middle ground between animations and 3D, and decided that the best way to do it with the time constraints, was to have a mixture of iPads playing gifs, simple models, and photographs in layers like a theatre set. I thought it was good to have a mixture of things because it would keep the viewer on their toes and surprised at each box.

I also thought about how best to lay out the boxes. There was either a pyramid shape, with the boxes getting bigger as they went down, or a kind of stair case. In the end I chose a staircase, descending formation for the boxes. I think it would be difficult for people to look into a long box and see everything all at once.

There was a bit of indecision whether to put lights in the boxes with the models. I did in the end, and I’m glad I did. I used switches that only come on when someone’s pressing them, so that the batteries last longer. The switches are mounted in the wood, so that they look professional and neat. I’m rather proud of them. The lights look good as well. They help the models fit with the aesthetic of the rest of the images and animations as they all have a strong contrast between light and shadow.

During the exhibition set up, I had to decide how to mount the boxes on the wall. I thought that I would just be able to rest them on brackets, but there was no wooden wall for my space, so I have had to hang them instead. I think it probably looks best like that anyway.

I also made the decision to paint the whole outside of the boxes white. I wanted there to be a strong contrast between the light outside and the dark inside, to again talk about the darker side of the unconsciousness, and the uncertainty that it brings.

The boxes are now up in the space, and I’m quite proud. There was a bit of uncertainty about how I was going to get them in the wall, because I didn’t know how to get them stable. But I’ve managed it and they are braced against some wooden columns. The iPads need to be sorted out a bit, but it’f okay for now.

I like how you can see the boxes on the wall from down in the heart space, and when you look in that glass box, you have to look into another box. I also am glad that I went over the edges of the boxes with tape, because it looks a lot neater.

 

 

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