Technology, Culture and Creative Practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHGl8vO3MQI

This link displays some of the sound effects used in the movie Inception. I thought this was a really good example of sound use because there is a lot of attention to detail and it seems as though a lot of work went into it as shown in the video below, which explains and displays how some of the sound effects were created.

1. Discuss the cultural context of something in your blog

https://www.facebook.com/531pi/videos/tautai-artist-naawie-tutugoro/311196266669187/

In this art installation from the Moana Legacy exhibition labelled “come make my dreams”, The artist, Naawie Tutugoro, has displayed a strong message through a fairly minimalistic set up. This installation is based around the idea of hair discrimination as the artist is a woman of colour and has, what most people would describe as, ‘afro-like’ hair. She aimed to subvert the message “where have your hands been?” speaking from personal experience where strangers have touched her hair without permission and “decolonise certain materials that are used to mimic her hair” which can be seen in the image above as she has created a chain through the use of repurposed hair curlers or “heatless hair curlers”. This installation is a great example of cultural assimilation because it displays the idea of certain people trying to resemble the people of the Pasifika community who have this afro-like hair.

2. What are intrinsic vs instrumental notions of technology? Use an example from your blog.

Instrumental technology: a means to an end, technology that helps you do something specific, valued for the end results that come from it. An example of this from my blog I think would be the indoor sensory lights that I had talked about in my blog post about IoT products. They were indoor ceiling lights that would automatically turn on and off depending on how dark it was outside (obviously also with a switch so the user still has some control). I’m not entirely sure if these actually exist, however, I thought it served as a good example for instrumental technology as it would be valued for its end result; the end result being beneficial to the user as they would not have to turn the lights on and off everyday.

Intrinsic technology: mediates our perception of the world, has something that makes it stand out therefore making the tendency to use it inevitable, valued for its own sake. An example of this would be virtual reality systems. VR tech is seen as the shiny new toy that everyone wants to get their hands on. This tech is valued more for the experience it gives you rather than having some kind of beneficial end result. However, it can be argued that VR systems can also be seen as instrumental technology because, depending on the VR system, there could be beneficial outcomes for some. For example, VR tech can be used to help athletes “as they are able to watch and experience certain situations repeatedly and improve each time.” So personally, I would say that VR systems are both intrinsic and instrumental notions of technology.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1161505.pdf

https://www.fdmgroup.com/5-exciting-uses-for-virtual-reality/#:~:text=Virtual%20reality%20can%20be%20used,athletic%20performance%20and%20analyse%20technique.

3. In regards to your engagement in your course of study, what sort of technologies are you interested in developing? (one example if you have multiple)

This isn’t something that I would say I am interested in developing as I don’t exactly have the skillset; however, I do have a strong interest in e-textiles in health care. I have a general interest in textiles as my groups project in studio is based around textiles and I find it fascinating that, with the tech we have today, you can take something as simple as clothes and make it into an advanced e-textile garment that is beneficial to patients who require medical care.

4. What systems does your tech example rely on or engage with?

- materials, both textiles and electronics – need to work together to make the medical e-textile as efficient as possible

- mechanical work prior to creation, a plan

- People with backgrounds in various disciplines such as medics, engineers,

5. What ethical ‘issues’ might be relevant to your example?

- e-textiles may not be reliable: could end up with inaccurate patient data

1. What areas in your field of interest or usage in regards to technology, that you can identify potential current or future ethical or design bias issues? (identify at least one)

2. What are those issues specifically?

When I hear the word ‘technology’ I think about how far it has developed and the many opportunities it has opened up for basically anyone who has access to it. Thinking back to say, the 1950’s, it is incredible to think how far technology has come as no one in the 50’s could have imagined the world we live in today, just as we struggle to imagine how the world will be (technology wise) in 20 or 40 years time. So for this question I wanted to focus on the ethical issues surrounding virtual reality systems as I find it fascinating that technology has reached the point where you are able to escape your own life and live in this whole other virtual world and that some people are willing to do this regardless of the affects (short term and long term) that it may have.

https://unimersiv.com/on-the-problem-of-vr-and-addiction-337/

As mentioned earlier, VR can be tempting as it is an immersive experience that provides entertainment for the user that they would unlikely find elsewhere, which brings me to the ethical issue of the user having difficulty or disinterest in returning back to the real world. It can be argued that it is fully the users decision on whether or not they would like to take part in a VR experience and that they do it at their own risk, however, the issue still stands that this technological creation can alter the users perspective on life and prevent them from wanting to return to the real world. This can cause long term effects on the mental state of the users as the more time they spend in VR, the more detached they become from their real life, which could arise issues such as anxiety or depression when brought back to the real world. While some people may have no issue returning to their real life, they may have an issue readjusting to it as, in some cases, VR could be a stimulation of your ‘perfect world’. Users who experience this can be more prone to becoming stressed or disappointed when faced with the slightest inconvenience in the real world as they have become too adjusted to this perfect virtual life of theirs. This can be seen as both a current and future issue because as technology advances, these virtual worlds will become more and more real, intensifying the issue at hand.

https://uxplanet.org/motion-sickness-in-vr-3fa8a78216e2

VR is also said to cause motion sickness to some. “If a VR system is intended to imitate the natural surrounding, it might fall short on fidelity, number and coherence of different physical stimuli that are involved in a natural experience” (Behr et al., 2005). If users are faced with these issues, they may become disoriented and experience motion sickness causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, etc. This brings the ethical issue of VR causing physical harm to the user, again, it can be argued that the user do this at their own risk, however, in this case the VR system should be user tested multiple times before being introduced to the market to avoid issues like these arising. In general, advanced VR systems should only be available to the public if they pose no threat to the users mental or physical health.

1. Body: Name an IoT product you might design, its purpose, what its connection to IoT represents

A wristband for heart patients. It monitors their heartbeat and catches onto any irregularities, then sends that data over to relevant doctors. This will help heart patients keep track of how they’re doing and let them know if they require a check-up or any sort of medical assistance.

2. Smart Home: Name an IoT product you might design, its purpose, what its connection to IoT represents

Indoor sensory lights which automatically turn on as it gets darker. Obviously also with switches so the user still has control in case the lighting is not to their liking. This will eliminate the job of having to physically turn the lights on every night. 

3. Smart City: Name an example of IoT used in the public realm, its purpose and what its connection to IoT represents

Questions 1. What is the cultural context of what you see in the image?

2. What technologies are apparent in the image?

3. What creative practices can you name in the context of this image?

1. Bringing a dormant space to life using light to present a space where the audience can experience Maori knowledge.

2. An array of lights crossing over each other.

3. The artist has used space itself and background research to create a particular experience for the audience.

1. The artist has used repurposed objects (hair) to display the reality of living as an indigenous woman on colonized lands. This particular work of hers was a tribute to another artist known as Georgia MacGuire.

2. No technology seems apparent in this image.

3. The artist has mastered the skill of weaving, so much that she has strayed from the traditional materials and has executed the work using hair instead. 

1. This work is meant to interpret personal experiences had by the artist. She is a woman of colour with an afro-like hairstyle and through this piece she is addressing hair discrimination in order to stop people from trying to mimic the hairstyle. The message ‘Where have your hands been?’ refers to personal experiences she has had where people have touched her hair without asking.

2. No technologies seem apparent in this image.

Today was the first class for Technology, Culture and Creative Practice. We started the class off by taking a trip to the Auckland Art Gallery and having a walk through the Civilization Exhibition. This exhibition was focused around human civilization and how far it has developed as well as the negative impacts that have come from these developments. Many of the images stood out to me, however, the three below are definitely the ones that stood out the most.

Questions 1. What is the cultural context of what you see in the image?

2. What technologies are apparent in the image?

3. What creative practices can you name in the context of this image?

1. Addressing the false notions our cultural views can lead us to believe.

2. Camera (photography), image editing software, lighting.

3. The use of technology to address an issue and twist it so it fools the mind into thinking the image is one thing, only to realise from a closer view that it is something else.

1. How captivating screens/technology can be to people.

2. Multiple television screens, seems like other devices would be present in what seems like a tech store.

3. The timing of this image displays how media has a string influence on people as the family in the image seem to have stopped in their tracks to watch the screen.

1. Socialization, taking advantage of the surroundings in your homeland.

2. Camera to take this image, no other technology seems apparent in this image.