#umbral
How do the visual spheres created on social media such as Instagram interact with space?
This work, consisting of two parts, deals with this question.
The theoretical-conceptual part #cuttingthroughthenoise consists of a clearly outlined and yet diverse consideration of the topic of space, spatial perception and aesthetics referenced to different literatures and to current phenomena in the use of social media, in digital communication and art. Critical observations and theses of virtual and analog space and fundamental topics such as sensorial perception and threshold space emerge through architectural theoretical approaches. In interviews with Instagram users from the art and creative industries, a pluralistic approach to the use of the medium will be demonstrated.
In the conceptual part #whatyouseeis-whatyouget, the observations on the topic of Instagram are translated into the spatial model #umbral. The pavilion as a typology serves as a three-dimensional representation of the Instagram motif. Its mobility and temporality correspond to the principle of digital communication through space. In the projected model, the theoretical analyses are combined with a critical reflection of non-places to create a transformation of the consumed #Place-to-See of Instagram.
#umbral is a temporarily located installation that goes on a journey. The area in front of the landfill, on the polluted coast and between the main road junction are invisible places. Viral distribution via influencers draws people‘s attention to the pavilion. As „the place“ for the staged image, the location becomes visible. This gives people the chance to discover and understand unseen places. So that these places do not become Instagram-induced mass tourism, #umbral is designed as a traveling exhibition. On the outside, the cubic pavilion appears as an oversized mirror of its surroundings and viewers. By entering, the visitor is presented with a bubletecture that grows in height. Ramps in the scaffolding structure, which form the spatial volume, lead to different height levels from which the bubletecture can be entered. The space is experienced through the bodies that move in it, but at the same time this continuous movement does not allow the perfect picture.
#umbral is not only an installation experienced at changing locations, but an exhibition that will continue in virtual space and can be brought back into the physical experience on request.