ii. memoria de formalización

Banui Barragán

timetable

P R E S E N TAT I O N

S C R I P T & E D I T I O N

I N T E R V E N T I O N S

P R O D U C T I O N

F E E D B A C K

B A C K G R O U N D

P R O C E S S

D E F I N E P R O J E C T

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61bang bang / june 11, 2013

P R O C E S S

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01. FACTS:

Feeling eery and kinda lost of knowing enough to place a formali-zation, I soaked into a bunch of infor-mation about the theme I focused on: online/offline. I read as many articles, magazines, scripts, or blogs I could find, from psychologist to anthropolo-gist, to the common opinion.

Afterwards, what I could conclude, corroborating what I was falling into on my own, is that we live in a techno-logical universe in which we are in a constant seek of efficiency and always communicating. Reaching a point where society has sacrificed conversa-tion for mere online connection, human touch for pokes.

What I could sum up with all I’ve read were true examples of our reality with devices/technology in daily bases, that we sometimes hide or try to avoid. Now we’re accustom on being alone-together, like afraid of being with our own thoughts. In public spaces we can appreciate different kinds of people

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together, but each one in their own bubble, connected to keyboards and tiny touch screens. The ease of digital distraction has made us appreciate solitude with a new intensity.

At homes, families sit together, texting and reading e-mail. At work executives text during board meetings. We text and go on Facebook during classes and when we’re on dates, or end up relationships via email (applied on me this past week). We have even developed new skills such like maintain eye contact with someone while you text someone else; it’s hard, but it can be done.

Human relationships are rich and fulfill our lives; although they’re messy and demanding. Present time, we have learned the habit of cleaning them up with technology. And the move from conversation to connection is part of this. Worse, it seems that over time we stop caring, we forget that there is a difference between the real and the virtual.

As digital info increasingly aug-ments various facets of our lives, we grow alienated from those same facets, which now appear to us as less real. We immerse ourselves into virtual fiction, where some people spend more time in living online, than in the physical world. We lose sense of what is real, and what isn’t.

We’re becoming so concerned about posting our lives on the network that we actually forget to live our lives in the here-and-now. Now we’ve develo-ped a “facebook eye”, always in action, with the constant idea in our minds of posting, slaves to the fact of having something nice to say, share, publish ....

Without a device, we are heads up, eyes to the sky, left to ponder and appreciate. Even though, in this perma-nent connectivity era, there was and is no offline; the logic of social media fo-llows us long after we log out. But still, being logged out in the real world by all means, will contribute experiences and sensations fulfilling our lives.

bang bang / june 11, 2013

“Holi Festival of Colors” at India, posted on February 8, 2013 by Sangam.

“Caine’s Arcade” at Los Angeles, by Nirvan Mullick.

“You are beautiful” at Chicago IL, project by Matthew Hoffman.


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01. KARISSA VIA EMAIL

I am a slave to technology. I check Facebook and MySpace numerous times a day. I am addicted to knowing who is online and who has updated their profile pictures. I must have my cell phone with me at all times or I feel naked. If my phone rings I immediately stop what I am doing and irritably respond to the annoying call. I am a prisioner. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier and give us more time to spend with our loved ones. It is supposed to decrease our workload and make things less complicated. I’ve read articles that talk about how techology is taking over peoples’ lives.

Every time I read one of these brutal, but very accurate, pieces I say to myself, “I should really delete my profile” or “I should really cut back on the time I spend on the computer”. But it never happens. The truth is: I am obsessed with technology — there is nothing you can do to change my mind.

02. DEBORAH BLOOM’S ARTICLE

Life is just better here. I can conso-lidate myself into quotes, groups and pictures. I can form opinions of people or, more importantly, see how good-looking they are before I meet them. I stake claim to a virtual wall, replete with emoticons and one dollar gifts. I

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am able to compulsively keep track of everyone I have ever encountered and turn them into my friends.

Not an hour goes by that I do not log in, silently praying for a friend request from my (yet-to-be-found) soul mate or a wall post from an estranged friend. I seek out teachers and cele-brities and politicians and add them to feel popular and like I’m part of the elite. Yet, when I find myself sifting through photo albums of complete strangers, I know that my hobby has gotten out of hand.

In an attempt to reclaim my own life and to test my own resolve, I have de-cided to ignore Facebook for a week. As I log in one final time and update my status to “is abstaining,” I vow to prove that I am capable of living beyond the virtual world. It will be difficult and may involve frequent palpitations, but I have complete faith in myself.

My first day sans Facebook is off to a great start, mostly because I’m in class for the majority of the day. Sure, my knuckles sweat slightly when I see someone who, in favor of paying attention in class, is tagging himself in photos of what looks like his winter break, but, I’m okay. I even feel better about my pledge of abstinence becau-se I, unlike Mr. Cabo San Lucas, have

taken some very elaborate notes.

The second day is tougher. I can feel the withdrawal begin to set in. I realize communication is a tedious and elaborate process that requieres good hygiene, presentaion and social skills.

By the third day I am strung out. My mind wanders off to who might have updated their profile picture, and I constantly daydream about the Facebook News Feed. My palms and forehead are damp. I poke those taht I encounter, but no one reciprocates. I write a sentimental note on my best friend’s wall with a Sharpie and she kicks me out of her apartment. The tangible world is cruel.

By day number four, I begin to mourn the death of my social life and I realize that I do not have 220 friends. It is painfully ironic that the moment I leave the safety and security of my computer screen is the moment I find myself oblivious to any and all upco-ming events.

You might think I feel bad for caving by day five, but you are wrong. With a few keystrokes, I am again awash in a sea of pokes, wall posts and freind requests. I am home. My confidence is restores. My self-worth is renewed.


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During a couple of days I went to public spaces of the city wondering around, observing how people was using the space, if they were in a relaxing moment, work break, lunch time, or how they would appreciate changes in their surroundings and in the space.

What I could confirm directly more than anything was the high quantity of citizens holding their cellphone ALL the time, without letting it go at any moment, sort of like an extension of the body.

This I already suspected about, but really paying attention to it, observing, taking pictures (discretely) was shocking to actually confirming this fact. Most of the people (specially under 30s) spent their free time attached to a device.

This helped me giving a thought to all, and how we are transforming habits and attitudes in the urban landscape and in the interaction with others at public spaces.

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DEVELOPMENT

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bang bang

We are a collective of youngers who aim to awake a cer-tain level of awareness into people too used to devices and machines doing everything for us, getting us distrac-ted, and being unable to let go and enjoy (no strings atta-ched) our surroindings and experiences in daily bases.

We look forward to promote those methods and rich experiences that certain activities and moments bring to us. Also, aware of the limits we must pay attention to in online world related subject, aid to understand the importance of a balance in daily life, knowing well the pros and cons of devices always in hand.

Sadly, the fast paced lifestyles of our generation result in many not taking the necessary step back (unplug) to soak in the existing, fascintating world around us (take a break). Our goal is to help participants into further be-haviour appreciation and take notice of the beauty in life and people.

The interactions and public actions are our main mechanism to interfere in the community and break with people’s routine, launch a thought/message to particpants.

philosophy

manifesto

interaction


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Typography: Gill Sans Std/Shadowed CMYK: K100

RGB: R0 G0 B0

abcdefghij klmnñopq

rstuvwxyz 1234567890!” #$%/()=;:—

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tone

All the graphics applied to the collective’s communication are in black and white. Looking to express a neutral language easy to stamp in different kinds of formats. The main focus of the collective is to produce everything using analog methods/crafts/handmade. This way the sensations doing it and seeing it are different from what we are usually used to.

After some tryouts, the search was to frame the naming in a clear, clean way. And the final logo is based in a rectangle resembling a set of continuous screens, playing with the off-tech objectives of our collective.

The tools to communicate information about our philosophy are focused in using analog methods to develop them, as part of our philosophy, taking it to the extreme. As concerning a website, it exists, mainly to inform those google fans who we are in a few words, and which is our address, so we can have a more sincere communication by traditional mail.

Flyer - Fanzine - Analog Day Kit.

logo

communication

elements



fanzine

Used for a deeper explanation to share a different point of view of living the city and enjoying everyday experiences. A conclusion of all the research and background that brought the creation of the BANG BANG COLLECTIVE. The most important part of it is the manufacture, completely handmade (we like it old school style). The experience was unique, as well as the A5 size fanzine itself. Using a typewritter, polaroid camera, stamps, and hand writting, between other techniques, all with the final photocopy touch as the fanzine’s traditional method for easier outreach.

Used for a faster and easier promotion during the actions or interventions, and when wanting to promote the collective and its ideals on the streets.

For a deeper contact with people interested in knowing more about the collective and willing to try off-tech we have an ana-log day kit. It is formed by several objects to aid the adventurers on an offline day: a bag to carry out everything, a small agen-da with the most important contacts (to use in case of feeling nostalgic and wanting to give a call to someone special using a phone booth), a to-do-list notebook (when our memory wants to point out something relevant), an original sketchbook made of napkins (from different sort of places such as friend’s house, favourite coffee shops, my own home, and that restaurant whe-re I always like to eat sushi, perfect when getting inspired), a single-use camera to keep up a report of the day (you have only 24 pictures, use them wisely ! and be patient on the film).

flyer

analog day kit

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urban intervention

Discontinuity is a pause for reflection, a mental and emotional detour that can be an exciting and pleasurable way to reinforce relationships with other human beings. Interaction: conceptually approaching to the citizens, an answer is better when a message is launched out.

“[...] You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti.

Help to find a balance between the solutions given by technology, and the dependency it may generate in our subconscious and changing behaviours/habits. Drag attention, to move people, make you think and feel. Provoque reflections and discussions about the subject with friends and relatives. When breaking with the routine, something is generated inside the mind, depending on the person, may last 5 min or the whole afternoon. Hopefully the subject will share it and meditate about it.

philosophy

objectives


R E S U L T S

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The purpose is that the community compromises to achieve certain cha-llenges, as light as being 2 hrs without going into facebook, as large as staying offline (totally from everything) a whole day.

I went on proposing people the different challenges they could pick, in exchange of something I may give: a balloon, a flower, a candy, a hug, a dan-ce in the middle of the square, singing a song together.

Approaching someone like this, in their way to work, or back home, is so-mething different that happens to them that day, it may lead for them to accept the challenge and give it some minutes of thought regarding the subject, and in how their lives have been affected or influenced by certain aspects of the online/virtual world.

I really hope the action has trigger a chain of thoughts and hopefully spread to close friends and relatives of the ones committed to do the challenge.

I felted the challengers I interacted with (maybe not all, but most of them) reacted positively, accepting they may needed to spend sometime offline, and this action would give work for them as psychological exercise.

— The graphic used in the challenge’s certificate is always black and white, following the logo rectan-gles base as background. Same type as everything: Gill Sans Std/Sha-dowed.

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The idea comes from setting a set of short simple phrases. These would be trying to wink an eye to the reader, relating to the site where it was placed. A way to remind users in the public space that not everything is kept in that tiny screen, but to look around more, or they’ll be loosing unique moments of their lives, the city, common people.

Most of the stickers send a direct message to the reader. For example: Mind the gap, there’s no app for that! placed around the metro stations of Barcelona. The context always plays an important fact for the phrase to work better.

While placing some of the stickers, some people came along to see what I was doing and I watched some reac-tions in their faces like actually thinking about it, and giving it a second to analy-se the message.

— The graphic is always black and white, following the logo rectangles base as background. Same type as everything: Gill Sans Std - Shadowed.

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Another way to communicate and reach people in a strong visual way are billboards, so I worked on some stencils to place a phrase in a wall with paint in spray. The location was chosen because the particular movement of young people for this first big scale thrown message.

After working on whitening the background and doing the two layers of typography, the message was set. Meanwhile, there were some teenagers already waiting for it to be ready and take a picture to post it on the net (ironic isn’t it ?) but yes, indeed! And while working on it, anybody passing by would shout their opinion about how they wouldn’t be able to stay more than 10 min without checking their whatsapp, or another just saying “good one!”, or commenting between their pals about the subject. It was good to hear opinions and how they could discuss about it, don’t know for how long, but it was a good feedback for me.

Afterwards, from the distance I could appreciate more people taking a picture, only of the wall, or of a friend standing aside smiling. It was incredible how quickly common users were more ease to post a picture, than actually giving it a second thought to the message, others did, and came to talk to me about it a little bit.

The painting was done through the “Murslliures” project, with legal permission on June 2nd, 2013. Although, it has already been painted on top by another painting piece.

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He estado sin móvil por algunos meses (ya en un par de ocasiones) y sinceramente, fue una experiencia agradable ! Algunos meses sin móvil es como estar de nuevo contigo mismo, con tus propios pensamientos, tus sentimientos, tus cosas, conectada contigo mismo, descanso mental, muchos aspectos positivos. Era capaz de caminar por la ciudad observando detalles que en otras ocasiones se me podrían haber pasado por alto, situaciones distintas, la gente, pequeños cambios en escondidos rincones de la ciudad, podía mirar cada día la ciudad con una mirada nueva y fresca, caminando sin ataduras ni sensación de estar conectada a algo.

La costumbre donde todo mundo, donde sea, está <online> prácticamente todo el tiempo: es nueva, menos de 5 años. La cual ha impactado nuestras vidas remarcable y dramáticamente. También es un aspecto al que ya estamos mas que acostumbrados y con el hecho de que contamos para todo aquel que nos rodea. Y de ser lo contrario, te puedes llegar a sentir rezagado, o fuera de lugar a veces, no te enteras de planes, si no tienes whatsapp no te tienen en cuenta para eventos, encuentros, ni siquiera para quedar a tomar un café y platicar !

Y claro, en los tiempos que corren,

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el no tener móvil puede crear conflictos con las personas mas cercanas. En mi caso, les incomodaba mucho no poder localizarme, ni saber donde estaba en ciertos momentos (mucho stress de por medio con esto). Esto conllevo a que tuviera que conseguirme un móvil de nuevo (también para poder hablar con familiares que están en otros países). Y como era de esperarse, estoy adicta al móvil y a sus pocas herramientas que ayudan a hacer la vida mas fácil y cómoda aún siendo uno cualquiera sin aplicaciones trendy ni nada por el estilo, pero con whatsapp .... ahora tengo el chip en la mente de querer comunicar cada cosa que se me cruza por la mente con alguien, o aquello que me acuerdo con no se quien, y noto mucho que ya no me siento como antes, me molesta a mi misma, que justo lo que quiero promover, es un reto muy grande para mi !!

Por ello, dentro de los retos, también me los impuse algunos días, ir por ahi a hacer mis cosas, paseando, con la polaroid, pensando en mis cosas, proyecto final, meditando del día ...

“En menos de una década, nuestros cerebros han sido reprogramados a responder a cada vibración, ding, tweet y ring con subidas de dopamina y adrenalina, tal que, nuestros cerebros

con smartphones se ven, en una resonancia magnética, idénticos a aquellos de un adicto a drogas.” — Stefanie Krasnow.

Nos encontramos cada minuto de cada hora, desde el despertar, con nuestros smartphones bien guardados en los bolsillos lo más cercano posible, siempre a mano, como un amuleto sagrado del que nos es imposible despegarnos, o como si tuviéramos miedo a encontrarnos solos con nuestros propios pensamientos. Estos recientes cambios de habitos y comportamiento en nuestra sociedad poco a poco nos irán transformando, no faltará mucho para que todos llevemos chips debajo de la piel, o las gafas de Google directamente adheridas a las pupilas.

Tal vez cuando esto suceda entonces pueda haber un mejor equilibrio entre vivir las experiencias (por el hecho de vivirlas y no de subirlas a la nube) y la ayuda de la tecnología móvil a nuestro fácil alcance. ¿Pero que pasará con aquellas personas que no quieran tener artefactos en su cuerpo? Que deseen permanecer <offline>, derivando por la ciudad, sin estar ancladas a las ultimas tecnologías, permaneciendo non-smart ...

* me salio escribir esto en cas-tellano, me falta traducir xD


bibliography

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books, articles, scripts:

songs:

PEREC, George. “Especies de Espacios”. Literatura y Ciencia, Barcelona. April 1999. MOLES, Abraham A. “Psicología del Espacio”. Editorial Ricardo Aguilera, Madrid. 1972. “Post-it City. Ciutats Ocasionals”. Centre d’Art SantaMònica, CCCB. 2008. BACHELARD, Gastón. “La Poética del Espacio”. Fondo de Cultura Económica, Méxi-co. 2000 (1957).BENEDIKT, Michael. “For an Architecture of Reality”. Lumen Books, New York. 1987. LEFEBVRE, Henri. “Everyday Life in the Modern World”. Editorial Gallimard, Paris. 1971. LEFEBVRE, Henri. “The Urban Revolution”. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis (USA). 2003.FRASER, Benjamin. “Henri Lefebvre and the Spanish Urban Experience: Reading the Mobile City”. Bucknell University Press, USA. 2011. HUXLEY, Aldous. “Un Mundo Feliz”. Debolsillo, España. March 2003. DUBATTI, Jorge. “Teatralidad y Cultura Actual: la Política del Convivio Teatral”. Universi-dad de Buenos Aires.CID, Daniel. “Urbanismos Efímeros”. Barcelona. January 2012. (monografica.org). ORWELL, George. “1984”. MANGUEL, Alberto. “Elogio a la Lectura”, en El País, April 22, 2006. MOROZOV, Evgeny. “Los Peligros de la Perfección”, en El País, March 31st, 2013. SÁEZ, Cristina. “¿Dónde están mis datos?”, en El País, July 19, 2012. PARCERISAS, MITRANI, PERAN, SOLER. “Space Invaders. Intervencions artistiques a Barcelona”. 22A, Barcelona. 2004.STRAUSS, Carolyn, ALASTAIR, Fuad-Luke. “The Slow Design Principles”, at SlowLab. SOLER, Jordi. “La Lentitud”, en El País, February 17, 2013. HILL, Dan. “On the smart city; A call for smart citizens instead”. Feb 1st,2013. IVAIN, Gilles, DEBORD, Guy, JORN, Asger. “Teoria de la deriva i altres escrits situacio-nistes sobre la ciutat”. MACBA/Actar, Barcelona. 1996.KHOVANSKAYA, V. BAUMER, E. COSLEY, D. VOIDA, S. GAY, G. “Everybody Knows What You’re Doing: A Critical Design Approach to Personal Informatics”. Cornell Uni-versity, USA. 2013.

“Concrete Jungle” Bob Marley. // “What shall we do now” Pink Floyd. // “One Day” Matisyahu

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movies, series, videos, conference:

wesites:

“Amélie”, Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. April 2001. [DVD]. “Matrix”, Written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski. March 1999. [DVD]. “Searching for Sugarman”, Directed by Malik Bendjelloul. July 2012. [Movie Theater]. “Mon Oncle”, Jaques Tati. 1959. [DVD]. “Black Mirror”, Created by Charlie Brooker. February 2012. “Lost”, Emitted by ABC. Sep 2004-May 2010. [TV]. “Awareness Through the Body”, ATB. February 2010 [Youtube]. “El Mundo en Rumbo de Colisión”, Manfred Max-Neef. September 2011. “What if money was no object “, Alan Watts, Posted by The School of Life on May 1st, 2013. “Flying Lotus - Small Moments (Until The Quiet Comes previews)”, From Warp Records. October 2012. (Vimeo). “The Pleasure of”, by Vitùc. August 2012. [Vimeo]. “The Social Coin”, by The Social Coin iniciative. [Vimeo]. “It doesn’t matter if you die for it”, Krishnamurti talking with children in 1984. Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes [TEDtalks]. Stefan Sagmeister: Happiness by design [TEDtalks]. David Brooks: The social animal [TEDtalks].Stefan Sagmeister: The Happy Film [“Great is not good enough” by ACD*E, June 8th, 2013. Barcelona].

“Columpiate” (cargocollective.com/columpiate) ATB (http://awarenessthroughthebody.wordpress.com/) insideout.net thefuntheory.com cainesarcade.com 21diasdebondad.tumblr.com theschooloflife.com www.nytimes.com The Viking Way: (http://current.com/shows/the-young-turks/videos/iceland-proves-that-bailing-out-the-middle-class-works-better-than-bailing-out-banks)

ii. memoria de formalización

Documents

p r o c e s sp r o c

bang bang

real world

human touch

facebook eye

human relationships

present time

mere online connection