The aim of this project is to demonstrate how visualization through physical and global video broadcasting can effect the development of the knowledge of trans-global trade as well as how the presence of pervasive contemporary telecommunications can reveal new aspects of global history. Furthermore, our intentions are to investigate how concepts of time and space differences have been transformed in the digital age. How might differences in time-space be reformulated by the use of modern communication systems, and how does this translate to our feelings of being in past, present or future time? To accomplish this we will create nearly identical physical spaces, located on different continents. Each space will be networked with the others to evoke a sense of telepresence: a shared physical time in virtual space. In the Singaporean context, this will echo the country’s historical significance in the flow of global trade, and its increasing importance to the growing realm of virtual, cultural interchange over digital networks.
The project consists of two simultaneous installations, in Singapore and the United Kingdom. These installations will include video streaming and directional pre-recorded sound. Each installation is designed to look like a 19th century office typical of the respective cities. The furniture can be historical artefacts or reproductions.
Light will be projected into the room to replicate the sunlight of one city into the other (Singapore sunlight into London and visa-versa). This is to give each city a shadow pattern of the other place. The shadows in the room will be replaced with streaming video from the other city. So the Singapore installation would have a stream from London appearing on the floor in the shape of shadows from the objects in the room (please see the video above). These shadows will also have animated figures of people walking through the space. This will be an animation and no actual people will be hired to walk through the space. The video shadow will go through a sunrise to sunset cycle in a sped up period, taking from a half-hour to an hour.
Ultra-directional speakers will be hidden inside the space. They will play recordings made form historical records, diaries, letters home, etc., of Singaporeans in the U.K. and the other way around. Coupled with the historical recordings will be contemporary records of present day cross-regional migrants.
The spaces are designed so that the public can walk through the middle of the installation without disturbing the artefacts. While walking through the space the public will encounter the recorded sound.
A video visualisation is provided below.