XITY
Genesis for XITY AR
Q: Why choose paper as the material to digitalise for the XITY AR application?
A: The affordances of paper-based materials were extensively explored in Phase 2 (See: Cardboard & Mesh x Body; Paper x Body). Key findings and associations drawn from the explorations centered around how paper is often used as a material that carries the blueprints of urban infrastructure and artistic inquiry, ranging from visual artists to interior designers and architects. The manipulation of paper also archives the traces of one's own movement interaction with the material, as evinced in its creases, crumples and folds.
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This led to a brief exploration and inspiration with paper architects: which historically had connotations with "making utopian, dystopian or fantasy projects that were never meant to be built". Later developments of this term in the 1980s by Soviet architects grew into a more socially-conscious approach: where in they "produced paper architecture as a way of bypassing restrictions and dissenting, as a way to critique the dehumanising nature of Russian architecture of the time and the lack of care for traditional building."
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Henceforth, our chosen material for the XITY AR phase of artistic inquiry was that of paper, as we ventured into our movement-based adaptations of paper architecture, convening body and paper, manipulating it with the inspiration of various shapes and blueprints of the city.
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Source: https://www.spatialagency.net/database/paper.architects
Excerpts from discussion sketches in conceptualising the interface for the XITY AR application.
Q: Why present XITY's artistic inquiry in the medium of Augmented Reality?
A: The idea for an integrated presentation of XITY's artistic inquiry was originally mooted in Phase 1 during asynchronous discussions as an open suggestion and an artistic curiosity to integrate the material studies and movement exploration.
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At the time, the initial artistic team were exploring options of developing alternative platforms of audience engagement in light of Covid-19 restrictions that would minimise live audience showcases and interaction.
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With the accelerated growth of digital presentations of artistic productions since the Circuit Breaker in Singapore, RAW Moves reached out to the experience staff at VizioFly in order to co-conceptualise the possibilities for presenting aspects of XITY's artistic inquiry in an Augmented Reality form.