The week-long process of collaboration to create an interactive installation outside the Action Factory was a fast and exciting challenge, enabled by the experienced help of the wider design community and guest designers Jack Neville & Simon Jones of Simon Jones Studio.
There were many challenges to overcome, not least, differing levels of construction experience & varying levels of participation. Individuals & groups had to quickly learn to accept alternative ideas & outcomes. All had to collaborate and support towards the finished installation. This created a strong sense of community within the group. Strengths and weaknesses of individuals were quickly recognised and integrated into the process of achieving a finished outcome.
New skills were developed as a result of material experimentation, initiating design concepts, analysis of joining techniques and creating form. The evolution of the final piece from the original group experiments has produced spaces using materials in a manner sensitive to the site.
We firstly had to produce a body of research about the space and our own personal experience of it. This allowed for a great number of ideas about how an interactive installation could be created. Large group meetings were where, confidence in one’s ability and acceptance of honest evaluation encouraged all to grow and take ownership of the project. It was an exciting opportunity for me to learn from others ideas and methods to problem solving.
Interactive Sculpture with reclaimed timber
The final day of the challenge was on site. We had a beautiful day in which to erect our installation, which meant that there were good numbers of passing public to watch us.
The potential of the upcycled wood was appreciated by the public, along with the idea of the site being used for interactive display. There were a lot of happy faces who passed and some even took the time to question the installation. Those that did were excited for the day’s event but also for the wider community and their future interactions with the School of Art and Design. This was a great opportunity to develop new skill, collaborate with other professionals and peer groups enhancing the existing art community.
Comments