PROPOSED BY JENNIFER LAFER FOR THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUMS ´UNDRESSED´ EXHIBITION
THE
CONCEPT
One of my initial reactions after my first visit to the Undressed Exhibit was a desire to interact with the pieces. In my opinion an excellent way to engage young and diverse exhibition goer is to allow them the chance to touch and feel (as opposed to just view) work on display. Better than looking in a cabinet or closet, you actually get to engage with what underwear really is, what it it made of, and beyond. My project aims to fill that void and bridge the gap between visual and tactile with a video and multi-sensory experience. Using four different textiles (silk, spandex, latex and organza) I will create a tactile installation that focuses on the feel of the fabrics and textures, the feeling of comfort and discomfort that characterise the materials. The experience and subtle nods to “Touch me” plays on the themes of sensuality associated with lingerie without being too literal. This installation will combine elements of discovery and learning (various real fabrics) with the technical (audio/visual elements) hence the name `Feel Undressed`. See it , feel it , hear it !
In order to achieve the above I will be creating a space consisting of 1 Plasma screen, a set of speakers and an Installation of plexiglass boxes. The Plasma screen will be showing a film of the different textiles and the fabrics itself brought into a different perspective for the audience. The speakers will be playing the sound of the video, which is encompassing different types of sounds that reflect the characteristics of each given fabric. The installed plexiglass boxes are there to give the spectator a chance to feel and touch each given garment. A speciality of the placement of the three components will be that they will not be situated in the same places to evoke the museum goer’s curiosity. A few of the speakers will be situated at the tunnel entrance of exhibition road alongside with the Touch ‚n’ Feel boxes. The audience will be hearing purely the sounds and seeing the different cubes which makes it clear that they are there for them to engage with. At first it will not be obvious for the audience what they are experiencing. After having passed the Tunnel and entering the museum the exhibit goer will then detect the other components of the installation. The Plasma screen, showing the video and the same sounds, now synchronised to the film. This will reveal the purpose of the previously encountered elements of the piece.
The Floor plan shows how the three different components will be set up. The audience will enter the museum from the Exhibition Road tunnel entrance. Upon arrival guests will first come across the audio aspect (with the different sounds and noises of the fabrics). The tunnel is a well suited space for using sound because it echoes, which makes the experience of the sound even more interesting. The second component the audience will come across in the tunnel will be the ‘Touch ‘n’ Feel’ Boxes aligned next to each of the four speakers. The final stage of my intervention will take place inside the museum , in space 21, where the audience will find a video screen set-up. This last element will involve a plasma screen and another set of speakers showing the produced film in a loop, synchronised to the sound they have previously heard in the tunnel.
The “Touch n Feel Cubes” allow the audience to have a tactile and interactive experience with the 4 different types of fabric and evoke their curiosity about the rest of the exhibit. Each cube has an hole in it’s centre and a caption saying ‘Touch me’, to give the viewer a simple instruction.
The screen will be placed on the blank black wall situated just behind the tunnel entrance. It will be secured by a stand. As well as the two speakers situated left and right from it .
THE EXPERIENCE Using audio the audience’s experience will mimic the progression of the video from a hard to soft aesthetic . It will be hinting at the development from discomfort to comfort. In the beginning when the video focus on uncomfortable fabrics like latex, the sounds will be loud and jarring. As guests move through the tunnel, the sounds will become softer and the light brighter as the video shifts to focus on the more comfortable and luxurious fabrics like silk and organza.Â
THE FILM
WHAT ARE THE RISKS ? Risk 1 : People might trip over cables or wires used for the screen and the speakers. In order to prevent this hazard I am going to make sure that all the wires and cables are taped down ( if allowed by V&A that ) or covered by walk-overs (2m). Risk 2 : The free standing Touch ‚n‘ Feel cubes could accidentally be moved by people. I will have to make sure that the plinths and the cubes are mounted properly and that the plinths are secured by weight in order to not move from the ground. Risk 3 : People might try to remote content of the boxes or break it.
The fabrics will be mounted on the inside of the box, to ensure that they are not removable. Risk 4 : Allowing the audience to touch the textiles can over time become unhygienic. The fabrics will have to be exchanged frequently and secured safely afterwards.
Student Name : Jennifer Lafer
Space : Space 21 / Exhibiton Road - Tunnel Entrance