I was thinking, while eating a plate of amazing short ribs, about how these tasty treats are like the material objects in interactive installations- you know, as you do.
Ok, here’s the thought process that got me from lunch to the art/experience world: short ribs were a cheap cut of meat, before chef wizards turned them into a food trend in the early 2000s. Through artistry, restaurants made this ingredient exciting and interesting both because of the delicious preparation but also because of its transformation from cheap into premium. Now they are desired, expensive- they’ve gone from rags to riches.
The creative corollary is anytime a designer/artist turns an everyday overlooked item into a surprising work of design, art or experience, it’s delightful, even life affirming. It is the power of relatable creations.
Thus, the short ribs of the installation/experience world.
Like when dryer vent tubes becomes woven cathedral
or bubble wrap that becomes dot matrix calligraphy
A train set that controls the light in a space
Tiny clocks become pixels in a giant monolithic clock
What makes an installation short rib in my opinion:
- The creation changes our collective perception of an object through artistry. It opens up new possibilities.
- The item or material is affordable- allowing us to marvel the skill of the artist’s transformation
- The material is highly visible, it’s a feature not a hidden short cut.
- The result is greater than the sum of its parts. What the item is and what is done with it creates a meaningful connection.
bonus points if there is humor in the mix.
Such as a metronome that is synced to table tennis – ( a classic that is my all time favorite from ECAL )
Why am I fascinated with this phenomenon? Is it the before and after drama- like the art equivalent of an irresistible makeover? Is it the “I could do this” feeling you get? Are we just hardwired to like little weird delightful rewirings of our realities?
I must be primed for this, at Red Paper Heart we’ve used beads, grass, ping pong balls, boat oars in combination with various interactive experiences like:
Pool noodles that become trees you can talk to
Which is why I am always game for something new, something overlooked and waiting to be transformed. Let me know if you have any examples, but I warn you it does become a preoccupation.
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