LAYERS OF PLACE: The Art of Augmenting Public Spaces and Places with Stories and Technologies
Documentaries have long helped us to challenge dominant narratives and to see the world anew. They have explored the “real” by bringing its images and sounds to the screen, radio, mobile phone, or VR headset. In these conversations, we want to consider a different approach that is less about bringing the world to the participant, and more about bringing the participant into the world. We will explore how artists today are appending information directly onto public places and spaces, using augmentation technologies to carry on the documentary mission. From audio walks to projections to holograms, we will consider how the act of layering virtual media in physical environments changes our relationship to place. How can accessible media technologies and techniques enhance inclusivity, giving voice to more people and bringing to light stories that are hidden, buried, and left out of dominant narratives of place? What role can augmentation play in reframing how and what we see in physical public spaces? Can we use it to radically reimagine our condition and to generate dialogues within, between, and beyond communities?
An interdisciplinary group of pioneering artists including Jackson 2bears, Halsey Burgund, Glenn Cantave, and Tamiko Thiel will discuss the aesthetics, audiences and ethics of working with and within communities to augment public spaces and places with new meanings, stories, and voices. Moderated by ODL director Sarah Wolozin.
