Some sound

I went to talk to Espoon Kulttuurikeskus (Cultural Center) and they were interested in having a sound piece inside the building. I have a meeting there on Monday to talk about where and how to place the speakers etc. The plan is to have it there 27.4.-4.5. and I hope it will work out.
There are two possible places for it. This one is my favourite:

I'm hoping to have a motion detector by the library door and a peaceful woman's voice talking or whispering to you every time you walk out / in the door.

If attatching the electronics gets too difficult here, the other option is to have the sound in the nearest women's toilet:

In that case the sound will be a short "sort-of-a-discussion" by two women and a man.

QR codes...

After last weeks discussion I came up with several possibilities

to develop my idea:

1. "Hidden" discussion boards

This idea would include to place several QR codes around Tapiola to create access points

to the virtual discussions about those places. Either the QR would bring out Twitter feed or

an online video related to that place. I'm still researching the technical side of using Twitter

feeds.

2. East/West Helsinki Demilitarized Zone

In this concept I would create a demilitarized zone "DMZ" between east and west sides 

of Helsinki. I would place two copies of the same QR code that give access to the "DMZ".

One would be somewhere in Tapiola another one in Itäkeskus ;-)

The virtual DMZ would be simple online platform for text based discussion like etherpad, only 

reachable by visiting one of these spaces and scanning the code. The virtual space would work 

as a common ground for the sides to settle disputes or just boast (like in the border of Koreas).

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Both of the ideas are influenced, I guess , by the ideas of poetic terrorism and Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) from Hakim Bey. The main purpose is to create a space for discussion that links the "real world" with the virtual. One could claim that we are already fed up with all the online forums with trolls etc. However I think it would be beneficial for these discussions to be more linked to actual places to bridge the gap between the virtual and physical.

In both cases I would like to present my idea as an DIY kit rather than as an one time experiment. The only thing that still troubles me is that both ideas require users to have smartphone or similar gadget to work.

The reason I like QR codes is because they are not readable by human eyes and are often ignored. Some surveys about the use of QR codes suggest that people are usually using the code just because they are curious. If some people would actually end up in one of these virtual zones they would be probably at least in the right mood for leaving some mark of their visit. 

Related stuff:

Tactical media approach to QR: http://2d-code.co.uk/qr-code-switch/

TAZ, Hakim Bey: http://hermetic.com/bey/taz3.html#labelTAZ

Etherpad: http://muistio.tieke.fi/

Items needed:

- transparent tape (to place the codes in water resistant way)

- printer

- QR-code generator

- Etherpad or similar online tool

Tapio and songs

from the begining I knew that my project will be connected with name of Tapiola, which comes from the god of water and woods - Tapio. I liked this myth which very suits with Tapiola description ''garden city''. Then I was looking an ethnic choir, who can enrich my idea about Tapio by singing ethnic song from Kalevala..and by coincidence I discover nice and rich of ethnic song girls' choir in the music school near by EMMA. I was there twice and recorded their singing and also joiking, which excited me strongly and I started to be interested in that expression way of singing. The teacher Veera organized all so kindly:they showed me joiking with dancing and also in one day they learnt song dedicated to Tapio! I didn't expect so much, and now I feel responsibility to make this project as good as it could be:)
Next time I will film the last time and we suppose go outside, feel the song, search for a new mood in the park. Afterward I will collect branches and green stuff to make statue of Tapio and combine it with the dedicated song to him.
Now, I have to dissolve one item: where to put my insstalation? I was thinking about the center, like an alliusion to the first begining, which hopefully starts from name:)
Neri

Last week I have been to KAMU (city museum) twice. I was looking for someone who could tell me more about the exhibition that was called „Tapiola - In Seach of a Better Life”...It was not easy...but finally I got a business card of a „senior guide” who did not answer her phone but answered her email, sending me this link that is basically the documentation of the exhibition: http://www.espoonkaupunginmuseo.fi/tapiola50/frontpage_en.asp?n=true

The exhibition was the result of a close collaboration with Tapiola residents collecting a lot of tales and personal stories, photographs and even old family movies.

I think it would be interesting to continue this project in a way. I'd find it an interesting experiment to interview people of my age (born somewhere in the '80s) who grew up in Tapiola. Talking about Tapiola's utopia and imagination of future from the past through childhood stories. I think it would be interesting to exchange photographs from our childhood, talking about them and record the stories in a way. Talking with young people about past may result in novelty (as compared to the exhibition).

The result of the interviews could appear in different forms. One of them would be something like this (but nicer :)):

I imagined a view on the side of the Central Basin (Tapiola city center). The childhood stories could be on some kinds of speech tables. Standing on the lakeside and reading the stories one could look down through the water and could see some of the exchanged old photographs under the water.

Another form of appearance could be something like a newspaper called “News from the past”.

But for all this what I really need is contacts to some people who grew up in Tapiola. If you know anyone or anyone who possibly knows some people, please let me know! (unfortunately the lady from the City Museum could not provide any information on peoples contacts) Thanks!

(my email is: iralksadur@gmail.com)

Interesting places and intervention plans

On friday I found few things in Heikintori that could be worth checking out for people who were interested in tango and creating a scene from the past. Unfortunately I don't have a picture, but on the 2nd floor there was a dance studio-like place with mirrors. It was a weird nonspace that wasn't probably used much and anyone could just walk in. Also, at the top floor there was a nice little boutique for women's hats. It was closed, but it also looked like something from the past. 

I heard from somewhere that there used to be a cafe at the top floor of Tapiola tower. We tried to go up and look at the view, but now the whole tower seems to be in corporate use and there's no possibility for everyone to go and enjoy the view over Tapiola. Someone once said that everyone should see the horizon at least once in a day. It gives you the understanding of your surroundings and a feeling of presence. In general, it's good for you. I think that there are way too little this kind of places in high buildings where people can enjoy the view from the bird or the god perspective. What I would like to do is to return this perspective for the people in Tapiola to enjoy. If it's not possible to open up the terrace at 12th floor, i'd like to place a webcam there, so at least people could see the view online. I could create an internet cafe with a view.. This is probably what I will base my project on, returning the perspective.

My favorite webcam is this one, where you can observe the nest of a hawk: http://www.balticseanow.info/en/Home/explore_0/webcameras_0/ospreynest.html.stx

And here's what me and Eero had for lunch at the EMMA SIS Deli cafeteria. 3/5