Prompt: Each class meeting, you should be writing one page on the topic we covered in class. You can also use this as a time to do independent research, create photo essays, or similar. If you’re unsure, contact me about it. You should also use this space as an opportunity to write about inspirations for your own work, and to put your sketches, illustrations, etc. online.
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In this fourth reflection, I will be putting down and reacting to my highlights among the things covered in class.
Today was a day we were showing our work. I was very inspired and amazed by my classmates beautiful and sophisticated (in my eyes) works. I personally had an idea but I haven’t quite yet managed to implement all of it because of how I was struggling with animating the images, as well as building basic interaction between them. I failed again at delivering on what I was supposed to exactly do (and I am facing it). I believe this is how learning happens, given I tried my best to stretch myself yesterday night. I am determined to make as much progress as possible in this field by the end of this course. I made a plan to meet the professor to seek help on my code in order to get as soon as possible all the effects I wanted. I am also getting later today a book he recommended, in order to finally get myself up and running with Processing and ultimately so I am able to express myself with it. “Expression” is a key concept here. What a power! Knowing that this empowering course will add a layer of sophistication to my expression as a human being drives me even more, to make the most out of it. Today we went to Xin Che Jian , a hackerspace is Shanghai. It is the very first hackerspace in Shanghai where hackers go to do exactly what we are set to learn how to do in class: expressing the Self.
The place was fully packed with tools and half finished works. The Manager, a passionate, inspiring and young woman gave us a tour of the place and briefly introduced us to the hackerspace’s business model, which I was very interested in. She said it is a non-profit non-governmental hackerspace, and I was intrigued by their financial model, and the amount of tradeoffs they must be facing. For instance how much innovation would they be missing out on, by being non-profit, given innovation oftentimes requires expensive technology. I have done some work on entrepreneurship development in developing countries in the past, and I am always thrilled to be in such powerhouses of innovation, where serendipity and hard synchronised work makes every kind of magic happen. Moreover, it was motivating for us to put what we are learning into perspective and to see some of its relevance to the real world context. I was also curious about the intersections and differences between IMA and engineering. Professor Scott clarified how IMA looks into the expressive possibilities of the tools built by engineers, before adding how IMA would be expected to have a more human-centric approach. In the hackerspace, both IMA and engineering projects take place to give rise to highly innovative but also very user friendly tools.
