Projects SI 28/The-Calm-Machine

The Calm Machine

Sibyl & Lea

Idea

Both of us have been thinking about belonging, the meaning of home and ways to counteract anxiety in the context of living in a big city surrounded by many people. We have different approaches on how to deal with these feelings. In our machine, we are bringing them together, but in two different parts: the "inner", and the "outer".

For the event, we wanted to make a cozy corner in the space of UBIK to rest and relax. Sibyl worked on an interactive light and sound installation, that invites the audience to be more aware of their senses and surroundings. Lea's walking algorithm printed on postcards then takes the visitors on a walk, to further connect with the immediate space around them. A narrative text guides them through the whole machine, trying to invoke a feeling of calmness and belonging as well as reflective thoughts on the experience of the whole event.

Description

The Calm Machine is a quiet and cozy island in the buzzing and bustling of this event. Hidden away from the other stations, it provides privacy and a moment of peace. Come in, sit down, touch, listen and observe. We then invite you to go for a psychogeographic walk. Walking is a form of reading. Through the act of walking, you interpret and rewrite the city. You are a gear in the mechanics of the Calm Machine—by interacting, you make it come to life! Connect with your senses and surroundings, and perhaps generate a new sensation.

Process

We collected ideas for the event on our own, and after sharing our thoughts in class meetings and discovering our common interests, we teamed up to work together. Sibyl was reading Walking as Research Practice (2022) and Lea was reading Walking and Mapping: Artists as Cartographers (Karen O’Rourke, 2013) at that time. We exchanged thoughts on these books as well as on our feelings regarding the city of Rotterdam and the upcoming event, where our projects would be displayed. Sibyl feels most safe at home and in enclosed spaces, while Lea uses walking as a method to calm down from crowded events. After talking with Marloes, we decided to split our machine into an "inner" and an "outer" part.

Lea: The Outer Part

Iterations of the walking protocol: The walking protocol is based on Wilfried Hou Je Bek's walking algorithms. My first machine coming out of this idea is the Psychogeographic Walking Machine, which outputs a poem. It can be found in the Writing Machine Directory. I wrote several other walking protocols, for example based on vision, smell or hearing. I considered offering all these different options to the audience—then they could compare how they experience the city while focusing on different senses. In the end, I decided to make just one protocol. I am very curious how different people perceive the same (urban) space, and one protocol for all makes a comparison possible.

To actually be able to see the results, I had to think of a way to safe them. I wanted people be able to take their outputs home, so I discarded the idea of a letterbox "void" to drop the cards into. In the end, I set up a scanner. Steve gave me a book scanner of his to use, but it's software only runs on MacOs and Windows. Instead, I used a small flatbed document scanner from the XML. I set up a raspberry pie, so I don't have to use my laptop during the event. Michael helped me write a script to scan on pressing enter. Since I did not want to bring a display, I had to run it blindly on the day of the exhibition. I was very surprised to see it working on the first try!

I also worked on different instructions for the walking itself, but quickly settled on five right turns—thereby walking out of the door and once around the block. This is the shortest possible path without going backwards, thus it takes little time and is accessible to many people.

A big part of the process for me had been writing: I started with the narration to welcome the visitors into our machine. I felt it was necessary to provide a form of guidance, as we essentially were presenting two very different installations physically very close to each other. Our goal was to spread calmness and offer a moment for reflection to the audience, so this is what we tried to reflect in the narration.

For the output, I wrote a framework for a short story (not a poem), that I tested multiple times. It is hard to always make it fit semantically and grammatically. I talked to Thjis about good story writing and gentle narration. Barbara's note "how to write a story softly" really stuck with me. My aim was to fit all the different pieces of writing (the welcome note, the instructions and questions from the protocol, and the output story) into one cohesive experience.

Narration for the audience

Welcome to the Calm Machine. 
Please sit down, relax for a moment. You have moved through the hall and made it here. This a space to ground yourself—without rushing, without judging. Reflect on the things you have observed.
What sensations did you experience on your way? Did something feel strangely familiar? Did you notice something that sparked inspiration in you? What did your hands want to touch? Listen to your body, your thoughts and your surroundings.

The Inner Machine
Please take a 'key', open it and have a seat. You have entered the inner part of the machine, where you can touch, listen, and heighten your sensory perception. Feel the most tender and intimate part of the machine.

The Outer Machine
You have been here for a while now. Did you gather some fresh energy? If you feel like it, we would like to take you on a walk and thereby make you write a story. Breathe in some fresh air and feel the Rotterdam autumn winds on your face. Grab a pen and one of the walking cards. Just follow the instructions to start your journey! When you are done, please come back here to scan your results.

Reflection

Lea

Surprised by how many people did the protocol, despite rainy weather outside.

Lovely feedback: the questions I wrote on the cards are resonating and my intention to make people reflect on their surroundings seems to be working out.

One drawback: There were many visitors and the space for our machine is smaller than I had in mind from the first visit at UBIK. Therefore it was quite crowded and "The Calm Machine" was not very calm at all.

What do keep working on: