Systems.Culture

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Systems.Culture is a Masters of Architecture design studio run by Finn Warnock at the University of Melbourne.

Systems.Culture posits that for architecture to remain relevant it must engage with the forces that shape society. Architecture must interpret these forces into new modes of spatial experience or ‘affect’ (Moussavi, F, The Function of Ornament, 2006). Through this mechanism architecture is able to retain an authentic connection to contemporary culture. Affect is therefore the result of cultural forces acting on materials, under the curation of a designer.

Systems.Culture explores this relationship and focuses on the implementation of contemporary digital design tools as curatorial devices.

bundling script

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CONTENTSCHAPTER 1: CULTURAL FORCES

Assessing and Collecting 6

Transferring Motive 6

CHAPTER 2: TOOLING

Fitness Criteria 10

Culling 12

Making Chandelier 14

CHAPTER 3: MATERIAL AFFECT Gallery for Digital Art

chandelier script

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chapter 1assessing and collectingtransferring motive

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ASSESSING AND COLLECTING

Select three media artefacts (songs, art works, writings, films, etc) and summarise their social commentary. Explain the messages that they are conveying and how they fit into their broader cultural context.

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PARK(ing) DAY: Rebar, San Francisco, 2005

Valuable urban real estate can be leased on a short-term basis - feed the

meter and the land is yours for the allotted time. The PARK(ing) project

explores the range of possible activities for this space, and critically

examines the values that generate the form of urban public space.

(image from www.parkingday.org)

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THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF YOU:Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror, 2012

Set in an alternate reality in which people can have a ‘grain’ implanted to record everything they do, see or hear. This allows memories to be replayed, either for that individual or on a screen for others, a process known as a ‘re-do’.

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VIEWER TWEETS ON TV SHOWS: MKR, Channel 7, 2013

The notion people have that their opinions are important and matter is absurd. The inanity of these comments is fine, the real disgrace is that an editor is curating these comments, and selecting which ones to broadcast. Given that we get the TV we want, what does that say about the viewing public?

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CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

TRANSFERRING MOTIVE

Reproduce your chosen media artefacts by whichever means you see fit (montage, sketch, models, video). The aim is to preserve and present the underlying comment that the artefact is making about contemporary life. Your ‘artwork’ can be as radical and abstract as you can imagine.

A circuit diagram of my life. I’m in the middle, with my wife. We have a lot of interaction, both face to face and digitally. She doesn’t like her work so we have a lot of conversations about how much she dislikes her job. On the left is her close friend Julia. She’s a bit older than us, she’s not so technologically minded and she lives just around the corner, so we see much more of her in person. My friends Casey and Duncan are in the top right, they are separated from us with a switch because they live in Tasmania, and most of our interactions are digital. All the people are drawn as batteries, as we are sources of energy. Where we work and study are light globes, because they are drains on our energy.

me

my wife

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PERSONAL CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

DISCONNECTED PERSONAL CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

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chapter 2fitness criteriacullingmaking/chandelier

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I drew a very basic circuit diagram of my life, detailing various connections to people (wife, friends) and things (work, study) in my life and how I interact with them (face to face, email, text, phone). The result was quite a jumbled and complex web of lines of connections, even after a cursory attempt at mapping a few relationships. I wanted to try and discover just how entangled the people and things in my life are. Although modern technology has enabled people to connect in ways, and on a scale, previously impossible, is this increased connectivity always a good thing? Whilst serving the purpose of connecting people, has the computer fostered human disconnection at the time? Are we suffocating under too many connections?

Digital technologies have enabled us to see and hear and do and experience a bewildering array of things at once – there’s always another video to watch, another article to read, another email to send, another picture to see, another link to follow. A never ending web of things leading to yet more things. Is this too much? Can our essentially primitive brains cope? Do we need to restore a balance?

FITNESS CRITERIA:

Reflection on art piece

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Modern humans emerged around 200,000 years ago, civilisation only 10,000. The overpowering force of evolution has wired our brains a certain way, the digital realm is a new paradigm with which we struggle to cope. Although the benefits of the information age are numerous and revolutionary, perhaps they are also undermining our humanity in the process.

How can we retain our fundamental “humanness” in the face of such rapid change, whilst still embracing the advances that technology represents?

Another aspect of humanity that technology shows signs of removing is our fallibility; we err, we forget, we are flawed; “we are human”. Technology promises to overcome this, and although removing error from our working lives, or at least some of them, might be seen as a good thing, what about our private lives? Does it then not remove an essential part of us that makes us human? And is that not what other people respond to the most – our own humanity that they see in us?

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Centre points = 4 points = 2 Centre points = 4 points = 4 Centre points = 4 points = 6 Centre points = 4 points = 9 Centre points = 15 points = 2 Centre points = 50 points = 2 Centre points = 4 points = 100


Centre points = 6 points = 6 Centre points = 6 points = 50 Centre points = 6 points = 100 Centre points = 6 points = 100 Centre points = 6 points = 10000




RICHARD MADDOCK 384134Systems.Culture: Finn Warnock

19/03/2013

Fitness criteria: Connectivity and networkingAre we suffocating under too much connectivity?

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Centre points = 6 points = 6 Centre points = 6 points = 50 Centre points = 6 points = 100 Centre points = 6 points = 100 Centre points = 6 points = 10000




RICHARD MADDOCK 384134Systems.Culture: Finn Warnock

19/03/2013

Fitness criteria: Connectivity and networkingAre we suffocating under too much connectivity?

FLOW CULLING

Fitness Criteria: connectivity and networking

Are we suffering under too much connectivity?

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We investigated agent based systems to develop our chandelier prototype. Agent behaviours such as flocking, swarming and bundling were trialled with varying parameters.

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MAKING / CHANDELIER

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BEHAVIOUR

BUNDLING

low macro attraction

low stiffness

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small spawn area large spawn area

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example development of low stiffness script

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example development of balanced script

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BUNDLING

delayed effectstight intertwiningstable structure

rapid growthbrief relationshipseratic behaviour

distinct emerging formsstrong nodal interactionspastic behaviour

stiff high energy agents

balanced

stiff high energy agents

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500 agents

few distinct flocksmostly homogenousfew directional changeslow energy/reaction system

1000 agents 2000 agents

some clear aggregationsstill a low variation of density

some very dense flocksflocks interact with other flocksindividual influence are low

POPULATION TESTS

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long term relationshipsfast aggregationerratic flock movement

very disperseddelayed aggregationlower interaction

max field of view large dimensions

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distinct patterndense erratic flockslong term relationships

neuron formseven distribution

large attractions low grid resolution

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BEHAVIOUR INTERROGATION

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The site chosen for the location of the chandelier was Tattersall’s Lane, near Lonsdale St, in Melbourne’s CBD. This is a very public, albeit narrow, laneway with a heady mix of establishments nearby such as noodle restaurants and bars.

By specifying the respawn sites for the agents (as well as the percentage chance of respawing at a particular location) to respond to site conditions, we could control the direction and quantity of light from the chandlier to different parts of Tattersall’s Lane. For example making the laneway entrance itself brighter, and reducing the light cast onto the external balcony of Ferdydurke.

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Agents not only flock in swarms, but also when three or more agents are in a flock - as specified by the variable parent.nodeThreshold - then a node is created at their centroid. The size of the node is proportional to how many agents are associated with that node. Agents are attracted to not only other agents, but also to nodes (opposite, in blue).

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MODIFIED CODE WITH SPECIFIC RESPAWN SITES

strong concentrationcontinued movementdecentralised nodes

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Final script for the chandelier. Being able to specify the agent respawn sites gave us control over their paths and lifetimes, and allowed us to create shapes with more agent paths in particular areas. These paths would in turn be translated into areas of more light within the chandelier. We were thus able to shape the chandelier to fit its surroundings.

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chandelier prototype

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chapter 3reflectiongallery for digital art

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PROTOTYPE

proscons

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REFLECTION

Although we demonstrated control of the agent script, and were able to maniuplate their movements to suit our requirements, converting what was a dynamic, evolving system into something that could be constructing was limiting. When the agents’ position was crystallised, at a point in time we determined to be “optimal”, all notion and evidence of their movement and dynamism was lost. The end product had little indication of the fine detail and grain that the agents could provide.

Our solution was to discard the making process - fixing these agents at a particular point in space at a particular point in time was counter to their use - and instead use a method of projecting the real-time output of the agent system. This also provides the opportunity to explore different material to project upon.

By using fabric and projecting onto the reverse side we can close the gap between viewer and the virtual. With this three-dimensional, tactile, fabric surface we can define an immersive space.

Populating this surface with characterful Nemos which respond to the gallery patrons creates a user-authored environment and engenders a sense of play, encouraging engagement with the exhibits.

Because we are using fabric and string and digital means of production we can easily create many permutations in order to curate the gallery spaces as required, catering for sculpture, wall hangings and projections.

Different spacial types are enhanced by the Nemo’s behavior and interaction with the fabric as well as the exhibits. The digital and physical interact to create a user authored experience that is ever changing.

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As the sense of play is so important, these Nemo characters must be engaging and intelligent in their movement. They need the ability to flock, swarm, repel, display courage and fear and also create a sense of wonder and intrigue. What follows is an exploration of the code behind the scenes, and the effect it produces.

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GALLERY FOR DIGITAL ART

One of they key features for the gallyer is to imbue with it a sense of play, fostering engagement with the works on display. We do this through the projection onto fabric of a digital system comprised of agents with individual characters that the gallery visitors can interact with, authoring their environment in real time.

44code to orbit at a “safe” distance

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Six sequential screenshots (left to right) of the first run of Nemos in action. They flock, and they are repelled by, but also somewhat attracted to, the predator -in this instance the cursor stands in as a representative for a person. This behaviour is evident, with the Nemos circling the person at a “safe” distance.

Each agent is linked to the agent after it in the list, so that its outline is coloured by the activity of a different agent. These links are highlited by lines below. This link enables each Nemo to blink and glow in a display of their interconnections.

Nemos acting more like phosphorence, bioluminesence. Lighting up when disturbed, swirling/circulating slowly

These screenshots are with 1000 Nemos.

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Nemos flocking, swarming and circulating around a person. They are attracted to the person but keep a “safe” distance. red cicle: personred dot: memory

Memory map: the larger red circles represent people. As their memory fades the colour fades as well

A person has to be in one spot for a minimum amount of time to qualify as a “memory point”. These memory points remain, but fade over time once the person has moved on.

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Implemented via a “binary rolling sum” tracking how long a point in space has “existed”.

MEMORY MAP

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NEMO CHARACTERS

Each Nemo has their own individually generated personality, following a Gaussian distribution. These personalities cover things such as type, appearance, speed, and courage.

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The different Nemo types and their animation phases. The Swimmer (above), the Wobbler (middle), and the Spinner (below).

NEMO TYPES

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DIGITALLY SCULPTING THE FABRIC MESH

The fabric for the prototype was digitally modelled in Maya, using the mCloth technique. This allowed us to specify the type of fabric we were using, and the points at which it would be hung from, and Maya would caluclate the resulting real-world form of the mesh.

This digital mesh model was imported into Processing, providing a mesh for the Nemos to live on that was exactly the same shape as the fabric in the real world. Bridging this virtual/reality divide was an important step.

The Maya mesh model was then sliced at the hanging points, and a map generated to determine precisely which points to hang the fabric from.

fabric attached directly to the structural frame

fabric is hung from this point, wit the string hanging vertically from the frame

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FOLLOW THE MESH

A critical moment for the success of this project was being able to give the Nemos the ability to move about in their world on a mesh we specified. This adds that layer of spatial awareness and three-dimensionality to create an immersive environment.

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FOLLOW THE MESH

The nemos are now following the mesh with their movements in three

dimensions, although their bodies are still all in the same plane, unaligned to the face of the mesh (as evidenced by

the white rectangles).

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ALIGNING NEMOS TO THE MESH

Attempting to figure out the algorithm to align the Nemos to the mesh required a great deal of paper calculations to figure out the required manipulations...although the resultant code is only three lines long!

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ALIGNING TO THE MESH

The Nemos are now aligned to the face of the mesh, turning their bodies so they “flow” along

each face as they traverse their mesh world.

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BUILDING THE WORKING PROTOTYPE

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Using the Kinect to sacn people’s locations in the prototype

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Nemos (green) running on the mesh. The blue dots represent the outline of the person being scanned by the Kinect.

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contour map of fabric ceiling

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gallery pods/balconies

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render of final installation

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working prototype

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WORKING PROTOTYPE

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RICHARD MADDOCK384 134Studio E: Systems.Culture

Systems.Culture

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Transcript of Systems.Culture