Watching and Being Watched
- We explored sensory experiences in Leake Street Tunnel and focused on the feeling of being watched.
- Inspired by Scopaesthesia, we designed a wearable with a collapsible helmet and mirrored visor to offer anonymity.
- The final design was well received and highlighted the importance of material choice and public interaction.
Understanding
Humans can recognise physical spaces and identify changes through their senses. This brief challenges us to create wearable/garment inspired by sensory experiences in designated places. The place we should go to is the Leake Street Tunnel, a graffiti tunnel beneath Waterloo Station.
Observation & Research
Our group visited the Leake Street Tunnel, our allocated location. The tunnel, situated beneath railway tracks, showcased a diverse array of graffiti art, attracting numerous visitors. As expected in a tunnel environment, I could encounter auditory and tactile experiences, such as the echoing of sounds and the sensation of water droplets falling from the ceiling. The rhythmic clicking and spraying of spray paint created a dynamic atmosphere, with a repetition of tension and relaxation. We found that the tunnel was also filled with the gaze of myriad eyes depicted in the graffiti, while numerous camera lenses captured the visitors themselves.
Ideation & Development
One of my team members suggested an idea inspired by the experience of encountering numerous eyes and camera lenses depicted in the graffiti throughout the tunnel. This constant surveillance seemed to create a sense of pressure, exacerbated by the confined space of the tunnel. We decided to develop this idea further by exploring Scopaesthesia, the sense of being stared at.
The basic concept involved creating a wearable garment that could conceal the user within the tunnel. I suggested incorporating a collapsible helmet component, drawing inspiration from the structure of a fan or tent. Additionally, we made it possible to wear the wearable like a backpack, allowing the helmet and a cape element to be deployed and secured by a support pillar.
We also visited the Creative Technology Hub for technical advice. A technician recommended the use of mirrored vinyl. This material allows for one-way vision: the wearer can see out, but those outside cannot see in when the other side is dark. We decided to incorporate this mirrored vinyl as a visor to cover the user’s face.
Final Outcome
This wearable comprises a helmet and a cape. Users can deploy the visor to conceal themselves, and utilise the cape to achieve complete anonymity against the wall. This affords a sense of security, providing protection from the multitude of gazes.
Feedback & Reflection
Following the presentation, we received positive feedback from the audience, with our design deemed suitable for its intended purpose. It was praised for effectively reflecting the characteristics of the location. Regarding the demonstration, we received an opinion that it would be better to encourage outside participation than to do it on your own. Additionally, feedback suggested that a more detailed explanation of the mirrored vinyl, the primary material, would have been beneficial.
The sensory experiences I encountered within the graffiti tunnel deepened my exploration of Scopaesthesia. This experience highlighted the importance of discovering and incorporating both familiar and novel materials to enhance the overall completeness of my design.
Reference
- Banes, S. and Lepecki, A. (2012) The Senses in Performance. London: Routledge. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203965924
- Connor, S. (2006) ‘The menagerie of the senses’, The Senses and Society, 1(1), pp. 9–26. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2752/174589206778055691
- Pittarello, F. and Semenzato, M. (2024) ‘Experimenting with Dataphys, a Physicalization Toolkit for Representing Spatio-Temporal Environmental Data’, in Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces (AVI ’24). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 1–9. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1145/3656650.3656682
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