Semantic Survey of Forms - Marcos Lutyens

Semantic Survey of Forms 2019

Collaboration with Richard Cytowic

Curated by Gabriella Warren-Smith

Commissioned by Cognitive Sensations

22 January 2019

THECUBE
Studio 5, 155 Commercial Street,

London,UK

Jan 22

The X-Gallery, LJMU

Liverpool, UK

Feb 8

The Old Bank Residency, Manchester, UK

Feb 15

FACT Liverpool, 88 Wood St, Liverpool, UK

Feb 20

A Semantic Survey of Forms — 5 An exploration of Unknown Objects as a means of drawing attention back into the body sense of touch and away from the auditory and visual senses which are the senses primarily used in digital culture. The sense of touch includes the gauging of texture, temperature, weight, as well as how these relate to memory, expectations and feelings.

Preparation:

Each bag has a number tab, with numbers 1 to 5.

The zip end of each of the 5 bags should be opened up and the corresponding object (see numbers in image below) should be placed inside the correspondingly numbered bag.

The bags should be placed on a table so that they can be reached by a seated subject who can put his/her hands into the arm openings, starting with bag 1 and ending with bag 5.

One questionnaire should also be on the table with a pen.

1) Five bags are located on the table(s) in front of the subject who is seated. The bags are numbered 1-5

Each bag has a corresponding form inside.

2) The subject puts on the headphones and presses play.

3) The subject spends 1 minute touching each object.

4) We are 100% analog in a digital context. The subject writes notes corresponding to each object, as each object is experienced.

3.a One line per each object to describe the sensual qualitiesof the object in the bag. A list of adjectives on a poster on the wall may help stimulate the viewer’s vocabulary. “Please describe in as much detail as possible, the sensual qualities of the form that you encountered.”

3.b The remaining space for answering the following questions with respect to the collective group of five:

Q1. Without the usual benefit of sight, how did the experience of engaging with these objects via touch and smell differ?

Q2. How did you feel exploring the objects this way? Refer to the list of adjectives on the wall for help if necessary.

Q3. Compared to being able to look atunfamiliar objects like these, describe your ability to focus and concentrate on the task. Did it differ, and if so how?

5) The subject leaves.