Semester B R&D Project Begins

For the last few weeks the group has been debating and sharing ideas on concepts starting with 'Drones' and The Southbank Centre. The two concepts inspired discussion in the way people thought of them, and these inspirations in turn generated more ideas.

Ideas were perpetually created and added to a cloud based document that everyone could contribute to, meaning the document was a recepticle for collective creativity. The document spanned different layers, meaning you can specify on one area of discussion and focus more intensely on relevant suggestions.

Screenshot of the group document

Throughout the discussion I proposed the phrase 'By knowing everything, we know nothing', in reference to the ideas that were explored in terms of collective database knowledge and online encyclopaedias. The phrase sparked a debate on whether the availability of information via the internet has limited the knowledge retention.

I remember watching films with my family and regularly hearing the question "what's he been in before?". When I was younger this would incite a conversation in which everyone tried to remember what previous show an actor had been in, however today with the dawn of smartphones, WiFi and online encyclopaedias the mystery is gone. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is now a regularly consulted website and app in the living room, swiftly answering the common questions. 

Although the previous example is slightly whimsical, it does highlight a shift in attitudes from memory to database. This is also apparent in the way people store and review photos. Since the advent and rapid growth of Facebook, in tandem with the digital photography boom, photos are no longer kept in physical albums, but online. With this societal change towards digital memory and knowledge there is the risk that the companies and organisations that hold our information for us may evolve into more ominous beings, threatening personal security and privacy. 

I want my work to evoke thought around the topic, and the risks of a dystopic future based in a digital space.