Selection Vox Pop Interviews 3rd person descriptions / paraphrased quotes

3rd – 4th December 2002

“ it was odd being suspended in the air; I knew I had three sensors on me. I had one in the tail, on in my arm and one in my leg, I was told that; and that made me think what am I doing what am I creating – how am I working the atmosphere. I knew that the tail you can hear it, it was a creep kind of sound, every time I would do that pull the tail the images would change on the side. I couldn't work out what my leg was doing, I was getting quite frustrated because they got so much going on around you don't know if its you making that difference, it would’ve been nice it if would have been just me seeing what I was doing. I think its also a control thing by me to know what I was doing. I’m a very self-centred person, so if I wanted to know what I was doing – I didn't really care what everyone else was doing. It would’ve been nice to get more of a pleasant lyrical noise, after a while it just sounds like you’re in a jungle, its very harsh.”

“ I was quite amazed at all this strange material and cables hanging from the room, the most amazing thing was the sound, I didn't join at first, I just watched people inside and I started to realize that the sound was changing, I couldn't notice a direct link, even when I tried it myself I couldn't see the direct link. I felt slightly frustrated, I could tell that us moving around was making a difference but I felt like I didn't know what that link was. I wanted to try and find out, so that's what I did the moment I got in there, I wanted to explore, which I found fascinating, I wanted to stay there longer. My gut reaction was that I liked it, that's the simplest way of putting it, but I’m trying to think what I liked about it. It was just mysterious, deeply mysterious what was happening to me. In a way I was paying less attention to how the sounds were changing this time, because there was so much to do with my body, I could bounce around and spin. Having watched it, I felt like I could see the movements of the ball translated into sound around me. I was on the bungee, so I could see people but I didn't feel there was much interaction. Two people though were able to swing towards each other, but I felt I was apart from that. There may have been some way in which I affected the whole of the environment, but I didn't feel directly linked or with interacting with others. I knew what I wanted to do, it was an exploration for me, they purposely didn't tell me anything. I became much less analytical when watching other people in there, I was really enjoying the experience, noticing the sound changing, you’d notice the sound changing and shifting in sound. I wasn't paying attention to the individual people and what they were doing, but the whole thing became an environment that I was enjoying, and I didn't want it to stop. When someone walked on and it finished, I thought I would’ve really like to stay here and see it develop some more. I didn't really notice the visual side of it as much, they weren’t very arresting, it was very effective in that we were in an area that was enclosed. This kind of space, this kind of circus, I’ve been to the circus a few times and I’m used to lots of people all watching the central space. So at first I was a bit nervous that I would be on display? Once I was there it was an environment that encouraged me to play. Id like more people in there, the person on the ground was a bit lonely, so there wasn't this divide between the air and the ground. The moment I saw this person pushing the ball around, I imagined three people pushing balls around. The sound I felt was always a bit loud, it woud’ve been interesting to have variation in the sound.”

Thu 5.12.02 and Fri 6.12.02

Woman with brown curly hair on question what did you do?

“Played with things, found out that the ball controlled the sound, we all had to stand quite still in the middle in order find that out, cuz when we were all moving around we couldn't tell who wad doing what basically, so we did all stand still… ”

Through collaborative effort realized the response manner of the ball making sound. Was first confused as to what was doing what, then everybody stood still to realize what the ball did. Man sits down and explains why its important to know the responses of the environment. “The joy of pushing that dynamic door, understanding the play… otherwise it was just a continual mush, where it would’ve been nice to play with an image, play with a sound, change the environment, more precisely enjoy that manipulation.”

When he knows how things are connected he can play with them, otherwise everything just a mess. Other bearded man says that there were too many people to figure out what did what. Woman with curly hair felt stupid playing with her sleeves, felt stupid being watched since she didn't know the environment. “cuz I didn't know how anything worked I thought I’d look a bit silly if I was just hammering away at something. That wasn't actually interactive… I suppose it wouldn't matter if there wasn't anybody there. Its best if everyone was in the environment with her wearing similar sleeves.” The man describes it as playing, a learning process: “In not knowing what you’re doing – I dunno if that's just adult or as a kid would let go – you need to know how to skateboard to enjoy skateboarding, you know this is good but you don't know what its doing.”

Curly haired woman says she might have reacted differently if she didn't know that the environment was interactive. “Knowing I’m going into an interactive experience I cant help but go in there looking for interactivity.” The man says that when struggling to figure out the rules of the process he would still feel self conscious. “you’re still looking for the relationships if nobody was looking, for understanding the rules of the game, I wish I’d had known about the trousers otherwise I`d wouldn't have spent so much time trying to get something out of them”.

He was thrown into an experiment and he started looking for answers. The curly haired woman describes the moment where everyone stood still as her favourite bit; because she felt together with the rest, they had worked something out. “we nearly got there didn't we, when we all stood around in a circle, that was my favourite bit, suddenly you felt like you were together, you figured something out.”

The bearded man stresses the need to control the environment around you, one feels out of depth if the surroundings are unknown. Other woman needed a brief she says. The curly haired woman was constantly worried that she was playing with the wrong thing. “you when a kid gets a present and he likes the box better, I felt like I was doing that, like I was missing the main point.” Man felt that the more people were in there the harder it was to find his own moment. Curly haired lady stresses the dynamic between the group as noisy and banging and the accumulative visuals. The man didn't come to play but to find out how it worked. The curly female though would enjoy playing but also find out what she was doing. She stresses the wonder of it all, the discovery of processes especially with the collaborative silence and the ball. As suggestions for the future the bearded man would want to experience this first individually and later as a group and then combine the experiences. The man wouldn't want to discover what things do, only what results they have. He would want to know that the ball makes a sound, and then go in and find out what sound.

Man “I would have needed more time, I was very observing rather than being active. It was all a bit trippy, with an acid like touch.” Woman “I was up above and you seemed 4 years on with your costume, made me think of a kindergarden with kids who don't know how to play, how to use their toys.” She wasn't comfortable with her position in the bungee, she wanted to stay longer and with less constrictions. Man says more people on the ground would’ve been better since the people above seemed so far away. The woman stresses the interaction between people as important and also the factor of time. The man didn't get a distinct sense of what he was affecting, he recognizes the assumptions one has before entering the space, especially one involving technology. The man felt like the end of experience was very abrupt, it should’ve been more relaxed ending. The man had a sense of guilt “like when the party was over and I was left over”.

Friday 6th & Friday 7th December 2002

Mukul “it was euhm… bouncy, I wish I could`ve swung more and reached people, just caressed them with my strange loopy thing.” Manu was first on the ground and then on the swings. Mukul found the material all amazing. Manu “I ended up smashing something and it made a sound, then I got really mad, then in the swing up above it gave me more time to watch how sounds and lights were connected to people.” She liked the fact that everything was so material heavy. “I saw the participants as part of the environment, not a technology base trigger but as an environment playing on the participants.” Mukul didn't know whether the lights, which were very mood creating, were interactive as well. He didn't really concentrate on them. Manu would’ve wanted a moment of silence, because with everything on she didn't know how to influence her environment. She thought whether she would feel the same if she was alone in the space. “Would I actually feel the same way if I was alone in this space, yet this is probably my thinking, trying to analyse everything.” With participation with others she liked the ways the balls bounced, and the way she could give people a push. She would’ve liked to have more control, or more awareness. Makul points out that if you bounce towards the speakers you would enter another sound field. Manu loved the repetition of play. Manu: “I liked participated in a magic constellation of interfaces, swapping here and there.” With having been both up in the air and on the ground Manu liked going back and forth. Mukul likes the idea of first experiencing and then going behind the scenes, knowing whats happening with the data. Mukul would like an easier interface with straightforward horizontal and vertical axis in the bungee. He couldn't correlate to the movements of others. Manu suggests a certain game structure, a form of communication in which people can collectively come to an idea.

“Well, I felt safe. I probably didn't think I was going to feel safe. It felt like an underwater experience, because I didn't think I was going to fall and if I was flying I would expect to fall. I felt like I was looking down on the world in a freeing way, which was nice. I liked the big swing, the more motion the better. I wanted to be able to dance more; to move my body more, to turn, maybe to go higher. I wasn't frightened which was strange. I was very happy. The only worrying thing was that I preferred more peaceful music, more tranquil; physically it was a very peaceful experience. Though the movements were restricted they were very graceful, and I would have liked to been up there with graceful music. To start with I was enjoying the visual aspect of it all, so I could look at everything and then the physical aspect of how my body felt which was very relaxed. I was worried that the tail would hit people on the head, yet towards the end I started moving it, realizing its connection with the beat of the music. I don't know what my wrist did though… Again in terms of physical and visual senses the feeling was very soft. The visuals felt like it had the same momentum as the music. My wishes would be to have a bigger circle, with more space to fly. I felt she was the luckiest out of everyone. I would’ve wanted to interact with others in the air, because they also could relate to the calmness of being high up, in the same position. The people on the ground seemed to have an aggression to what they were doing, they were doing things at a different speed.”

The guy “you don’t know what to make of it all at first, you’re a bit pensive at first, you don't really know what to do.” The woman says “it gets stranger and stranger and stranger. Its quite nice to close your eyes and swing back and forth., its quite soothing, really relaxing. It depends which senses you switch on and it gave a psychedelic, spaced out effect. The guy said it “felt like being inside a womb. And like a child you have to learn about where you are, then you get confident about the space, see what things do. First of all the space was strange, without expectations. You kind of soar and discover.” They both learned to discover the interactions around them. The girl definitely got some response out of the wall, also from the balls at her feet. The man - “you can tell a parallel to the activity level of the people and the speed of the sound. … moments frantic activity and then coming down again.” The girl also noticed this because she closed her eyes a lot. For the girl everything was defining the atmosphere well, she couldn't distinguish as such. The man – “if you want to go overboard you should bring in smell into the space to excite more senses, the sensory experience very immersive.” She found it like stepping out into another reality. The man suggested more interaction between the people themselves towards the environment.

Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th December 2002

“Well I was on a swing and I loved to swing as a kid and I had a swing in my garden. I feel exhilarated, and the experience of being up and just swing again and I got it to work quite well. I had to get around that kind of flexibility. And being at that height is really different from being on a swing in a garden. I didn't have any sensors on me and I knew that. So I wasn't really relating to me doing all these sounds and visual, I just watched what was coming. I was able t o swing into the gauze and get my face up against it, especially the mushroom at the back. The swing was attached to the architecture and I was really aware that I was in charge of moving it physically, literally. I never felt I was supposed to do anything, not now or before. I think its hard to interact; I did shout to others about the sound, I think in some way to interact in the air you’d need some kind of mic but that would spoil the sound maybe. You cant connect with words. I watched how the others below me were interacting and that was nice. It was not really easy to work as a group. You feel quite isolated and separated in this beautiful thing, and that's really special. The sounds to me are absolutely wrong, theyr’e the opposite to the rest of the experience, I was cutting that out. Last week I got a bell sound and Im aware that cause and effect is kinda fashionable, its out of date, but in fact I quite liked that having one thing I knew what I was doing. I liked the sound of the heartbeat at the beginning, its quite physical and I liked the background; yet I would prefer something far trancy, meditative with some up bits too even kinda more clubby: But experimental, because you could do a lot more. The visuals are absolutely beautiful, and I love this organic generic the flowiness of that – the energy the velocity feels very much related to us. The lighting is good; it’s darker so the visuals are more visible. I’m so glad I came back. Its one of the most amazing projection spaces I’ve ever been in, a lot of VJ stuff would be fantastic, qnd people playing in it not necessarily for playing but as a an environment as an architecture. I really liked the idea in T-Garden of restricting or shifting peoples movements through costumes, cuz Im a dance person I dance my knickers off in T-Garden. What I was mainly enjoying, and which I was deeply missing here, was the visuals connected to your feet. That rootedness allowed much more control, I could interact and play a lot. It was a real shame to leave behind that in T-Garden, you should build from what you've got. You’re so caught in the you, in the control you have in the avatar and the costumes and stuff.”

” I didn't have any preconceived ideas really, so it was great, it was really good to be able to play with a lot of other people who were playing. It was really with good to get under the skin of my child: I felt very free to do anything; yet there was so much around you wanted to experiment with everything and see what it did. And everything you did was slightly different; you couldn't repeat something, and that was part of the appeal. If I went back again, I wish I went up in the aerial. You were bombarded with so much, you don't get any sense of scale. I was shouting at the people around me but I don't think they could hear me. It was good to see other peoples reactions to what you did, and nobody seemed uncomfortable. One of my children is really shy, and cautious she didn't want to go on the trapeze yet she was really keen to experience different areas; for her it was superb. The sounds and visuals were fitting; because it was new it something that could grow in the direction that the creators wanted to go. Its infinite really especially with the technology of today, I sound really knowledgeable don't I? They just invented the wheel where I lived so its quite good for me. Particularly for something that's new, if you made it too bizarre some people might be intimidated, but it was comfortable. And everyone that's coming out now is smiling. It be good to do it with more people in a bigger space, I loved to involve the music that I write.“

“It went really fast, the whole thing was completely shifted, I couldn't believe the sessions went so quickly. It was difficult to work out what was what sound, I found the most gratifying thing to get the ball running around the circle, yet the whole thing was very disorientating for I didn't know which entrance I came in on, I didn't know where the computers were and I no concept of plotting of what was going on outside which was very bizarre because usually Im very accurate in knowing where I am. It was a real trip in there it was amazing. I didn't go in the air, I have travel sickness, I have motion sickness and I’m fighting a cold, but I would’ve liked to have a motion sensor, it would’ve been nice to have physical movement on the floor that would be tracking things rather than interacting with things. I though the trousers had a motion sensor in them but they didn't. Pam got into it thought towards the end with her pelvic opening exercises on the ball towards the end. It difficult to know what the material was doing. But there was a whole organic quality which it all led to a crescendo led but I didn't know if that was actually the programming or that we were interacting with it more effectively. Towards the end there seemed to be a… that tied in with our physical output and the way in which we were moving around the space which was quite interesting. There`s a certain amount of energy you put into your first experience and its quite an open moment, this is completely different space, and the second time you begin to explore it a bit more than take it as an experience. The sheer experience was amazing the first time. I didn't notice the visuals as much, I was more interested in interacting with the environment. But there were great sounds. Moving the ball was the clearest indication of sound you were triggering, the rest wasn't as clearly defined as I was looking for.

More interactive toys on the ground and more interaction with the people up in the air. They did feel a little isolated.”

“I came into the space and I was trying to explore what the space was good in, and I realized you have to start playing with it. I was on the ground and I started to run around to see what the space would do, I think there was some reaction and I played around with that for a while. Then I got curious about the big ball in the middle… I started touching it feeling my way into it, and hold it, you got immediate feedback to your actual action. You got a nice shaping sound. It was a more immediate feeling than I got from swirling my arms. I really loved to see how people moved around in space and I always wanted to get them to play along with me. I tried to catch the balls they threw. I thought the people didn't realize they could play with their tails more, that the people up there could play a lot more with the people down there. I’m an artist and I’m interested in space, it would’ve been interesting to see the relative distance between the people at the top and the bottom as well as in the air could’ve varied a bit more, so the distance and intimacy would change a bit more. The encouragement is really quite difficult that's why you start swinging people and leading them into it. People sometimes like to go for a ride, they expect everything to happen for them, it's a difficult question to let them go or carry on. The audio was stronger than the visuals because I couldn't read the visuals that much, didn't really understand the way the graphics were working that much. I was much more interested in the reality of the way things were changing shape and moving around, I was also interested in anything that made a difference to how it was interacting with other people. I didn't actually look at the projections, I noticed much more by looking from the outside. I really liked the fabric work and the costume work, I liked the idea that you had a … to force you to have a different kind of movement, because it was quite clear that every different kind of structure built a different kind of performance to move so that in a way was probably a root to transform into a parametric constraint system. I would really want to play more with intimacy with people, to approach the initiation of what is possible has to change a little bit. Im sure a lot of people find it difficult to go and explore because we are too used these days to not explore and only with curious people and children you see this happen. You were trying to achieve all the layers, what happened though was that people still were having trouble with the first step, people also needed more time. There are constraints to how you make that work. It was pretty and enjoyable to see how the space worked as a whole, you have to be in the situation to feel the response mechanisms, you don't know how one thing relates to the body of a given person. Its very much more a first person experience than a viewed experience.”

Sunday 8th December 2002

” Not easily. Immediately overwhelmed by ideas and thoughts and feelings wanting to rush off into all directions all at the same time. On one level just wanting to be a child and play. First reaction to play, what can this do what can that do. On another level as a scientist wanting to understand figure it all out pull it apart, sort of talk to the people who put it together, get into their heads, understand what are the bits, what does it do, what are their motivations, what are their hopes, what are they trying to achieve swhat feedback have they had so far. And then all the social aspects, this is a way of interacting; what have you observed and then the critical faculty as well, if I was doing this how would I do something different, what do I think is satisfactory, or unsatisfactory and why. You know its huge. Can’t really do it justice in a short time, you really just want to sit around for a week everyday playing a little bit, doing something . Its possibly reminding me I should be more involved in this. The child is great fun, for some people I imagine is quite frustrating since they’re not used to being given a completely open unusual environment, but I love that, eyes wide open, sulking things up. That's the first thing, lets just play in a big sand pit; throw things around and play with other people. That's the first reaction, how does it feel, brilliant. The scientific sort of critical side, bit frustrating possibly, its just such a difficult thing to communicate, and everybody is on their own level, and it's a public event and I want high bandwidth communication, but a lot of time spent negotiating what words you’re aloud to use because they might not make sense. The impatience of pulling things apart while everybody is busy doing things. I wanted to swing upside down, I could feel a limitation I wanted to get past. Maybe its something to do with expectations, there is a hype and then there is reality – what people can do right now. People are already accepting a virtual reality, floating around in space 3,4 years ago when the Lawnmower Man was on. The reality is that its hard for it to make sense to people since everyone is from a different background. Its kind of sad actually. On the ground was disappointing, especially the ball, since I’m a musician I didn't get much sound out of it. On the ground you’re less constrained so more in a position to figure out what to do, if you’re in a directional environment people start exhibiting behaviour straight away – you've got some idea as to what you could be doing. The objects on the ground are novel, it reminds one of the sad feeling that play doesn't fit in a work environment. Its something to admire that something like this has been done. The challenge because its all so open ended, what are the alternatives to all the objects. These objects though have to be satisfying initially and yet not get boring. I was disappointed in the sound, I couldn't spot the patterns, it sounded I was listening to a recording. Part of the emotional movement is that you can see the difference between what theyre trying to do and what they can do, this has a lot to do with a musical performance. In that way you can tell how good something is: That dynamic was missing. The sound was a bit stereotypical, combination of gadgetry and synthesizers. I would’ve enjoyed more organic sounds. The visuals weren’t didn't communicate intrinsic meaning, like a foreign vocabulary. It would be fascinating, to post documents of the installation when coming in. I felt there was a sort of isolation. My configuration range of interaction wasn't clear to me. “