Interactive Installation - Interaction versus contemplation - The way the hammock moves is dynamically animating the text.

In an interview I asked John Thackara: “How much technology do we need?" He answered: "Unfortunately "need" and have to live with are irretrievably mixed up. The world is so full of technology and intermingled systems that we can't just throw them away. But I'm confident we are moving away from the idea that tech is a good thing by itself. Most of us feel far from in control. We're filling up the world with amazing devices and systems – on top of the natural and human ones that were already here – only to discover that these complex systems seem to be out of control: too complex to understand, let alone to shape, or redirect. But things may seem out of control – but they are not out of our hands.” [John Thackara]

While relaxing in a hammock, the motion animates texts on a projection screen (sail). These texts are short essays and excerpts from interviews about mobility, home and identity. During the exhibition, I interview people myself, and next to the installation they can find forms that they can fill in. My experience is that many people like to stay for a while. Besides using the installation they also like to watch the swinging movement of the hammock and the typing of the text. It calms them down and helps them to focus so that ultimately they take their time to answer the questions truthfully. In the end, their thoughts are entered into the installation content. While creating the freequent traveller installation, inspirations were the immersive rituals of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the HIBYE nomadic work of Martí Guixé and The Viridian Neologue Contest, invented by Bruce Sterling and Natalie Jeremijenko.

The interface consists of a hammock, whose movement is traced by a custom-made hardware interface. The incoming data are then interpreted by a special application that maps the text onto complex modulations of sine waves and random functions.

Download project description written as scientific paper in English (160 KB)
Download excerpt of the projected text passages (70 KB)

"home is your identity - stories instead of objects - moving free of weight - relax everywhere!" Are you an freequent traveller? Participate, share your thoughts! They will be become part of the content – su*et*sushu.de