Pamela Jennings: Constructed Narratives
Title:
- Constructed Narratives
Artist(s) and People Involved:
Exhibiting Artist(s):
Symposium:
Artist Statement:
Constructed Narratives is a block-based construction game designed for adults based on the form and function of children’s construction toys. It is a tangible social interface designed for use in public spaces where people have the opportunity to encounter the game and subsequently learn about each other.
The hardware and software system architecture developed for this project could be applied for experimental computer-based interfaces for several human computer interaction and interactive art domains including collaborative learning [CSCL), and collaborative design activities in the tradition of computer supported collaborative work ICSCWI. The current domain explored for Constructed Narratives is that of computer systems designed to enable shared experience through play, or computer supported collaborative play (CSCP).
The goal of the Constructed Narratives project is to develop a framework for the design of social interfaces, or “discourse wranglers”. The social interface is a catalyst for the transformation and reinvention of the social and cultural environment. The”discourse wrangler-facilitates the communication and contextualization of ideas, assumptions and beliefs among its users. The act and metaphor of construction is used to illustrate how a simple artefact can provide an interactive platform for discourse between collaborating participants.
Constructed Narratives provides a common ground for negotiation around issues of identity, culture and values that can form invisible walls between the self and others in public spaces. To construct is to creatively invent one’s world by engaging in creative decision-making and problem solving activities.
