Road-map

>I wrote the road-map in August, at the beginning of the semester. As the first semester ends, I thought revisiting it would help me to see it afresh. 

>FYI: All words taken from the first road map are in this colour. The new changes are in this colour.

Reading list: 

>My initial reading was very limited. I do not think that either of them were reflected in the works.

• Against Space Place Movement Knowledge by Tim Ingold
• The Invisible Cities.

(Both of these are separate texts yet expands on the concept of space through very different perspective.)

I will add few more readings (few suggested by the college, rest I picked up myself):

• Design Noir: The secret life of electronic objects by Anthonny Dunne and Fiona Raby
• The pattern on the stone- the simple ideas that make computers work by Daniel Hillis
• The Poetics of Space by Gustav Bachelard
• The New Media Handbook by Andrew Dewdney and Peter Ride
• Behind the Image by Anna Fox
• New Media in Art by Michael Rush
• The New Media handbook by Andrew Dewdney and Peter Ride
• Plus reading the works of various philosophers like Kant, Manovich etc.

>Few of these readings I could reflect on as the works progressed.

Research areas: 

Primarily, I want to explore: space, city, and habitat.

I had few questions. 

The first being is what space means to me? What are the areas/ interrelated areas that I am looking at? I enjoy working in areas which explores/works around the relation of space with human. To illustrate, let’s take the example of how one feels inside a tunnel if left without any light source or mode of movement. The architecture of the tunnel is such that if they are made to walk alone, then we go through varied thoughts and emotions. Without elaborating of the thoughts, I would define the process. As light source is not mentioned, the first instinct would be find a wall which would help in navigation the distance. The next step would be to ensure the ground is free of any obstacles, so one would go slowly by putting one foot forward and then the next. The tunnel acts in a strange way. It works in our mind as this two sided open tube, yet the darkness inside acts as a one of the main hindrance.

More than looking at the human point of view, I am interested in objects through which I create experiences that we would either interact or register at an unconscious level.

The other part to this enquiry is by understanding how space evolves in a city and it’s relation with the inhabitant. It leads to the question of how we interpret the meaning of the spaces around us and how the perception changes over time/ in future.

These were the reasons that led me to choose Mine the City. Though the trajectory has been different than envisioned. It helped me learn new things as well. And given the feedback I received during both the critiques, I am reading more on story-telling, specially semiotics and culture. 

I think right now I am not thinking about creating something new, rather reflecting on the existing materials and trying to see if there could be new ways to see them. Also I am interested in digital media and the scope it provides in terms of experimenting.

In terms of application, I think both Mine the City assignments have been precursors to help me understand the scope with the independent project. I also know that as the work progress I will get acquainted to new skills. As of now I have learned video editing, improved my illustration skills and understood the importance of materiality.

Semester 2:

As I progress to the next semester, I would like to implement the concepts I am learning now. Improve my skill, specially learn certain digital tools like basic coding. I think I have not explored much though I am part of CEMA. And though techniques are not the end to the world, it does help in expressing ideas specially as I wish to explore the digital format. Also I think one of my weakness, is my lack of knowledge in aesthetics. Hopefully with continuous reading I can improve the knowledge base.