Notions of space 01

Research question

How can we in an exhibition offer visitors a realistic size estimation and a feeling of “being there” (dweller/pedestrian) in a built environment?

Projects

Architectural Biennale 2016 in Venice. The setup consisted of three projectors displaying a seamless image onto a tryptic screen (total size: 3.60×6.0 m) The screen itself consisted of three canvases, each at an angle of 150◦ to each other. This CAVE-like installation—where also the user’s peripheral viewport was covered—allowed each visitor to “dive” into the shown environments and therefore enabled an immersive experience, and to create a bodily notion of that featured space. In parallel, the visitors were able to create their own spaces, as ‘ideal’, i.e. imagined environments based on archit. Parameters from the worlds presented in the cave.

Publications

Worldmaking: Designing for Audience Participation, Immersion and Interaction in Virtual and Real Spaces. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330757959_Worldmaking_Designing_for_Audience_Participation_Immersion_and_Interaction_in_Virtual_and_Real_Spaces [accessed Nov 12 2020]. 

Ideal Spaces exhibition itself: 

— Michael Johansson & Ulrich Gehmann: Ideal Spaces (book chapter). About our exhibition at the Venice Architectural Biennale 2016 Palazzo Mora, Venice Italy Springer Verlag 2018

— Michael Johansson & Ulrich Gehmann: Ideal spaces exhibition. 6th EAI International Conference: ArtsIT,  Interactivity & Game Creation October 30–31, 2017 | Heraklion, Greece

Findings

• Size matters, being almost inside of a projection in a cave projection creates a presence of the spaces shown.

• Since every visitor individually can approach the cave projection and also share the experience directly with others.
• No technical barrier for the users to overcome.
• Immediateness: No latency/lag and low-threshold for a majority of users.