Holocaust Exhibit, game levels
So one of the key elements that I want to discuss is the game element, but how do I connect that to research? How do I write a paper about it? I find a lot on electronic games, but I mean something similar to religious rituals, Sleep No More, the uncanny museums, Cardiff, Happenings, escape room experiences. And how all of these have levels, particularly when in an exhibit with multiple pieces. And many of these have multiple rooms. The involve physically moving THROUGH these pieces. SPACIALITY is critical. TRAVEL, voyage, progress, SPACE and TIME. Making you aware of a context and drawing that sacred line so it is clear — the division from the rest of the museum or home or building. Creating that designated space and controlling that progress through the experience, balancing control and freedom. Balancing the communication so that it is not a one way thing nor is it taken over by the user and turned into a new message, but maybe a dialogue or maybe at least something that encourages further discussion within the experiencer.
Talking about the Holocaust exhibit that had the photos of the families — but done as respectful family portraits. How it was powerful and _relate-able_ and how the actual room/s were set up such as to be immersive and exclude outside sensory input and they were set up in such a way as to remind the experiencers of a camp or a negative, close, dark, hushed space. And how you _felt_ the narrative. You felt like you could be one of those photographed and yet you survived, but you understand that these others did not. And how powerful having so many photos and displayed that way was very powerful. So it was the whole SPACE that had to be navigated. Of course there was a background history we had and language we understood, but it also provided a bit of that and allowed for an epiphany/wonder so that you would perhaps find out more or at least have this new piece of knowledge to bring to other moments of history and learning about the Holocaust. And because you see yourself as both part of the visual display but also separate and yet immersed, you can also question whether you are part of the subjugated or part of the huge population of average citizens who stood by as these people were taken away.
Game Level: black and white, darkness, entrance and exit, channels formed by structures in the middle, limited number of people, not sure of what was going to happen, in a space with others, moving through a chronological timeline. So there were pieces of the carnage and such that occurred after the portraits, so you walk through a suggestive space, you see progression, you get to choose to enter, choose to walk through, some choices of path, choices of what you interact with [look at, read], interact with others or not.
Epiphany: this is why wonder is important and NOT just good. It is about being moved to a particular way by emotional response to experiencing the work. Some sad, some dark, some beautiful, some interesting.
If you do not get immersed, get a sense of presence, get a sense of wonder — maybe only the first time, maybe only once, maybe only per annum, or following a drop-off rate, but if you do not get it, then the piece is not as successful for you.
On the ability to learn a greater context as an extension of the art. I believe that you do NOT have to learn more about the experience than what you take from it — you can choose not to read the title even, for example. But you can also choose to follow ‘clues’ and find other information about it and that becomes part of the art. If you look up the artist, read up on the time period, consider where this piece was situated — consider the artist’s marriage, upbringing, etc.. You can do this and this is now part of the art. This is why the art pieces is always ‘completed’ by the experiencer — they always bring something and interact with it. It is always a choice and the interpretation of the communicated message is always left to them.
How powerful is the piece? How we see people moved to a great epiphany but maybe fewer people. Then if the piece appeals to a larger number of people, then maybe it will have less impact to those people because there has to be a less complex message in order to reach a larger audience on such a level.