AVATAR @ US: CARE

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created a world in which real-life, physical settings and the digital environment became increasingly entangled. What better moment to investigate the resulting new systems of social interaction than the Uncertainty Seminar: Care (US: Care) organised by Stroom Den Haag? We designed three experimental ways to actively connect the online audience with visitors on-site in a physical space.

cultures of information
challenge

Can we find ways to actively connect digital audiences with a physical location and its visitors during hybrid, digital/physical events?

impact

Digital visitors to Uncertainty Seminar: Care (organised by Stroom Den Haag, 25,26 September 2020) participated in three experimental ways of connecting to the audience on-site.

designers

  • Karen van Luttervelt
    Daeun Lim
    Hannah van Luttervelt

    • partners

  • Stroom Den Haag

    • designers

  • Karen van Luttervelt
    Daeun Lim
    Hannah van Luttervelt

    • Alternative presence

    Uncertainty Seminars embrace doubt and hesitation as a cultural strategy.
    This edition, curated by Jules Rochielle, centred around care. It examined how artists can engage in activating or supporting systems of mutual care, dignity, and respect. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a limited number of people could physically attend the event. Foundation We Are was invited to come up with engaging new tools of communication and alternative forms of presence to engage visitors both online and on-site.

    partners

  • Stroom Den Haag

    • Active conductors

    In three separate experiments, we introduced a mix of material objects, digital connections, and online channels. A lamp, a pillow-like doll holding an iPad, a GoPro camera, a Zoom connection, an Instagram livestream: just a few of the technologies that, linked together, functioned as ‘conductors’, actively involving digital audiences with the physical goings-on during the event.

    Active conductors

    In three separate experiments, we introduced a mix of material objects, digital connections, and online channels. A lamp, a pillow-like doll holding an iPad, a GoPro camera, a Zoom connection, an Instagram livestream: just a few of the technologies that, linked together, functioned as ‘conductors’, actively involving digital audiences with the physical goings-on during the event.

    Alternative presence

    Uncertainty Seminars embrace doubt and hesitation as a cultural strategy.
    This edition, curated by Jules Rochielle, centred around care. It examined how artists can engage in activating or supporting systems of mutual care, dignity, and respect. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a limited number of people could physically attend the event. Foundation We Are was invited to come up with engaging new tools of communication and alternative forms of presence to engage visitors both online and on-site.

    Objects of communication
    Jules Rochielle was not able to travel to the Netherlands for the seminar. For that reason, we created a light that was her physical avatar in the room. Jules was able to turn it on and draw attention to her digital presence when she wanted to talk with the speaker or the audience.

    Physical avatar
    Digital visitors could attend online in a Zoom room connected to a physical avatar doll that was cared for by the visitors on-site. The material presence of this avatar enabled and encouraged interactions between the digital and physical visitors.

    Walking camera
    One physical visitor carried around a go-pro camera and stayed in touch with online visitors through comments via various social media channels. Digital visitors experienced the seminar through the interactions with and bodily movements of the physical visitor.

    ‘US: Care’ at Stroom Den Haag, 25 & 26 September 2020
    Photos: Hani Chladilová, courtesy Stroom Den Haag

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