Event 1: Understanding – Art & Research

The exhibition held its opening reception yesterday. After finishing up work it looked like a good place to go to wind down, so I made the 40-minute drive there.

The exhibition was admittedly a little small. It's trying to convey so much information, so many ideas, but was constrained by space in how much it could get across. At first I thought, "Is this really all there is to it?" then the introduction speech began, giving a demonstration of the companion app Research Angewandte that gave an augmented reality extension of each exhibit.

It was a clever way to get across the space restriction. It was also a clever way to get across an idea which saw a lot of synergy with Margarete Jahrmann's piece, "Relation." This, too, uses AR as part of the exhibition, and invites the user to participate by using an app to take a photo of the exhibition. The app would put a caption on the photo then automatically post it on the exhibition's Twitter account. The viewers have then taken part in consuming the novel idea of this exhibition, the subconscious creation and consumption of digital content. You shoot. You post. You share.

The exhibition stated the app used had been updated since its first release to address some security issues. This was somewhat contradictory to me, as the entire app itself is a breakdown of security. The entire account is handled by the viewers themselves. The automatic posting gives Jahrmann no control over the account save for ex post facto moderation. As long as the app detected the coat and was able to stick a comment on it, whatever else that was in the frame seemed to be unregulated.

Security issues aside, this embellishment of oneself in technology to overcome the exhibition's spatial limitations saw the same idea of Jahrmann's piece repeated. But this time, we're on the receiving end of it. Artists shoot. Artists post. And artists share these apps and videos with the viewers. To what extent can we appreciate these works without the interference of modern novelties? Or is that even possible?

The exhibition is right off the Expo Line station. Not sure if you're allowed to jump the fence, which would save you at least 5 minutes of walking. If you're going to go, make sure you have your phone charged full and have plenty of data because you need it to make the most of the exhibition.

(Fun fact: you can use the app with the exhibition booklet to view the AR videos)