Final report by Tongyao Guan, MA Narrative Environments, CSM
Funded by the Post-Grad Community Project Fund
Photographs by Yudong Zhang MA Photography, LCC
R U HERE – in the place we call home explores the impact of instant messaging on social relationships, focusing particularly on how instant messaging alters our daily interactions and reshapes our experience of close relationships in domestic environments. To discuss this very current social issue, the opinion of relative users should be gathered rather than given, the audience should be the participants rather than viewers. Under this principle, R U HERE aims to offer a platform to perform the daily use of instant messaging between close relationships. The showing of this common behavior allows participants to construct their own meaning and opinion from the experience and observation.
After the first attempt, a participatory event in Saatchi Gallery invited the general public to experience through a series of home settings, the project narrowed down to the mode of digital romance/friendship. A participatory performance was held on 6th July in Safehouse 2, Peckham.
The performance shows how digital natives build up and maintain friendship/romance via instant messaging (Whatsapp/iMessage/Wechat), how they feel connection and emotion, and how digital communication alters the sense of togetherness and co-presence.
After two performers added each other’s contact, they guided the audience separately into two rooms. While they were texting each other in their own space, another two performers representing their digital selves communicated face-to-face of their text-emoji messages. The scenes of their phones were projected onto the wall so the audience can see how they interact simultaneously. The participants were immersed in this surreal hybrid of physical and digital world and guided by the performers’ movement to engage in the story. In some stage, the performers asked the audience to take control of their phones, texting the other person and lead the story in the way they want. It was very interesting that the audience were so engaged while texting an unknown person and even not realised the change of the other person.
This event helped me to further consider how participatory art practice can engage the public to discuss a social topic, which does not simply provide opinion, but stimulates the individual’s reflection and attitude.
More images:
Project Leader:
Tongyao Guan MA Narrative Environments, CSM
Performers:
Yuan Gu MA Performance Design and Practice, CSM
Lei Zhu PhD in UCL
Yunjing Liu MA Graphic Communication Design, CSM
Annisa MA Narrative Environments, CSM
Event Collaborators:
Yen-ying Jiang MA Narrative Environments, CSM
Norbert Schwab MA Narrative Environments, CSM
Ronnie Chou MA Narrative Environments, CSM
Xiaoyin Qi MA Graphic Branding, LCC
Libo Li MA Graphic Branding, LCC
Mengzhen Gao MA Narrative Environments, CSM
Photographers:
Yudong Zhang MA Photography, LCC
Unai Mateo Lopez, BA Photography, LCC
Other Participator:
Yimeng Bao MA Narrative Environments, CSM
Project links: ruhere.wixsite.com/home