We love a spot of R&D at Refreshed, especially inspirational experiences that make us think slightly offset. So last week we decided to take the team out on a school trip to the V&A to get inspired (pack lunches included) to the Decode exhibition at the V&A. It certainly didn’t disappoint.
The exhibition showcases the latest developments in digital and interactive design, from small, screen-based, graphics to large-scale interactive installations. The exhibition includes works by established international artists and designers such as Daniel Brown, Golan Levin, Daniel Rozin, Troika and Karsten Schmidt.
Decode is a collaboration between the V&A and onedotzero, a contemporary arts organisation operating internationally with a remit to promote digital innovation.
As we started to explore it became apparent the level of interactivity so many age groups expect from an exhibition like this. What inspired me so much was watching others engaging in the installations. Visitors attending the exhibition instinctively knew what to do and as a whole that to truly engage a user the element of surprise is the key. I especially enjoyed following a silver surfer around (I thought it was going to be packed with black rimmed media types) and listening to the comments to his wife… “Ohh Doris look at this!” as if he had suddenly invented the wheel! It’s a strange experience watching a 70 plus man creating digital art on a projection wall via a motion sensor!
Not only could these pieces interest any age, any person, any profession but they made them laugh, get excited and want to share their experiences. If decode were able to create a buzz about an interactive dandelion then I’m thoroughly excited about the impact these ideas could have on the commercial world.
The exhibition explores three themes: Code presents pieces that use computer code to create new works and looks at how code can be programmed to create constantly fluid and ever-changing works. Interactivity looks at works that are directly influenced by the viewer. Network focuses on works that comment on and utilise the digital traces left behind by everyday communications and looks at how advanced technologies and the internet have enabled new types of social interaction and mediums of self-expression.
This begs the question… what level of interactivity can we get to? If an exhibition like this can deliver experiences using motion sensors what are the next generation of visitors going to expect from an exhibition? This to me was clear after heading to the Barbican to the Ron Arad exhibition and not being able to interact with what I was looking at. Talk about opposites in one day! The approach felt like a step back and art had become inaccessible again. Digital art and art in general should be there to explore. Exhibitors take note!
A truly inspirational exhibition that investigated so many avenues of user engagement. The main take out for me was the interactive video wall by Ross Phillips and seeing the creativity that people put into uploading a 10 second clip of themselves. User generated content is certainly something we are experimenting with at Refreshed. Another highlight was network spaces by Stanza called Sensitivity. For one of my designers, it was the ‘Study for a Mirror’ piece, which very gradually projected an image of the user onto a mirror. It encouraged the user to take time out and study the piece and simply stop for 5 minutes. It was an area that was quiet and tranquil at one moment and then full of fun the next, all depending on the user and their imagination as to how they would pose or stand. I’m looking forward to Decode 2 and make sure you visit before the 11 April. I can’t wait to see what is going to come out of the creative guys I work with on the next project!
