architecture of the invisible

So, when we last saw our intrepid locative artists they were wondering around the Banff Centre campus looking for invisible architecture (coming from the analogy that sound/media scapes are experienced in a similar way to moving through architecture).

We toured several locations an heard some really great ideas, but rather than detailing them here, what I want to do instead is note down some of the different approaches for describing them.

Our journey to the first fictional spectacle took the form of a parade: following the (real) sound of drumming whilst holding (imaginary) objects in the air. Once we had reached the location our invisible objects provided the material from which the augmented reality sculpture was formed.

I’ve since chatted with this particular invisible architect about the importance of stage-setting and the use of other theatrical/performance techniques and I think we both came to the conclusion that they could be used more in locative media.

Whilst the architects almost exclusively described their creations verbally, one person had prepared a narrative that described the experience of viewing/using their invention. Theatre too, right?

I’d made a few sketches of the location for my invisible architecture, but had deliberately not drawn in more than a hint of the augmented elements. As you can see by the penultimate photo on this page this echoes the prompts that were there in the non-augmented reality. After a quick vote we decided that we didn’t really need the fictional goggles to see the fictional reality!

This invisible architecture addressed the sense of smell – something usually neglected in locative media. Were we prompted to remember a series of smells …or to remember the memory of smelling the smells…?

The session wrapped up with a hike down the Hoodoo Trail. In Silence.

Walk to the centre of your acoustic universe from nikkipugh on Vimeo.

Most of us had been down this section of trail before, so when we were instructed to consider a particular tree as the centre of our acoustic universe and to walk towards it (a 15-minute walk?) in silence, we all knew which one. I like the way this architecture played off memory and anticipation to create a radius of experience that extended far beyond the site of the tree.

I think this might bring me back to a comment I made whilst talking about my architecture: the pictures are better on radio”.

So, how to use these elements in our present-day work?