Art installations to reduce the increasingly common social loneliness caused by COVID-19 through small (un)planned encounters in public spaces.
A collaboration with “De Reuringsdienst”
* Photos by De Reuringsdienst
Opportunity
Casual encounters are unforced and natural, a moment where coincidences come together. But in the 1.5-meter society, these encounters have become the exception rather than the rule. Can the increased social loneliness be reduced by facilitating safe yet spontaneous encounters in the public space through interactive installations?
Result
I developed the hardware and software for two interactive installations that forced bystanders to cooperate toward a common goal. They were placed in the city center of Utrecht for 4 full days. They motivated bystanders to help each other. The humorous installation breaks the ice, lowering the threshold for first contact.
Installation 1
8 Buttons were spread around a pole with a hidden message. The more buttons are activated at the same time, the more the pole lit up, revealing a challenging question to spark discussion between the participants.
The electronic circuit was a combination of foot pedals and several switches and dials to fine-tune behavior.
Installation 2
A tower with a big target on top releases a ball with a written message every now and then depending on the amount of commotion around it. The ball could be opened up, the message read, a new message added to it and thrown back into the ball pit at the top of the tower.
The electronics are a combination of radar sensors, servo motors and buttons.
