Light Box: Discovering the Human Moment
Karatzas, Evan
The primary goal of this experiment is to observe individual behaviors and over arching patterns related to how individuals pursue and avoid avenues of direct personal interaction within the context and framework of an overtly technical environment. Areas of exploration include the use of dynamic roles, human interface and algorithmic logic.
The clear walls of a designated room are outfitted with polarized cells which, at the directive of a central computer system, electronically shift between various levels of opacity and transparency. Participants wear specially outfitted gloves which track the user's position and movement and display information about the user's "level." Various patterns of transparency are revealed as user's perform throwing motions at the walls, characterized as power. This serves as the "explicit" premise for the experiment.
Users may mistakenly deduce that this relationship between individual and environment represents the full logic of the system. Enter the "covert" level of system rules and logic - that the relative distances between users and observed socialization level based on proximity is the key to the changing user level and power assignment experienced by participants. The covert logic is further advanced when users realize that physical contact with other users causes identity swapping with the requisite impact of user level and power.
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Light Box
