Murmur, Toronto was one of my favourite texts.
Locative media involves so much detail about the setting of the story, and I find this to be unlike any other kind of text.
I especially like Murmur, Toronto because Toronto is where I live, and many of the places, or at least the areas are very familiar to me.
Professor Tschofen’s slides explain that,
Locative media are:
Immersive: they exist in real public places that require participants to rely on the senses, powers of observation, engagement with material tangible reality.
Social: Mobile public art can be used as a force for community building and change.
Exploratory: Locative projects literally demand of their audience that they look deeper, listen more carefully, venture outwards, and assume a stance of curiosity and openness.
Engage story and history: Many of their projects are representations of how people occupy and use urban public space, offering an evocative portrait of the past and current life of the city, its residents, and visitors.
The piece by Donna Kakonge, on the corner of Dundas and Kensington in Kensington market did all of the above.
It is immersive because the Saigon Pearl really does exist in that location. I felt like I recognized the name and the store sign immediately when it appeared on my screen. Many people who have been to China Town in Toronto a few times will be able to recognize this location.
It is social because it shows a very realistic view of the restaurant. This allows someone who has been there to recognize it easily, but at the same time shows the restaurant from a different point of view. People are accustomed to seeing it amidst the hustle and bustle of China Town, but here it is singled out, and this provides a different feeling of the restaurant. Also, just the fact that it is on a screen causes a very different effect from that of real life.
It is exploratory because as long as you can hear the girl talking, you are immersed in her story, and with the image of the restaurant right in front of your eyes, the tendency is to imagine her story unfolding based on her words and the image that you see.
It engages story and history because it tells you a story that you most likely have never heard before, and gives you a story about the Saigon Pearl that you will most likely remember if you ever visit this restaurant, or even pass by it. For people who have already seen or been to the Saigon Pearl before, it allows them to see the restaurant through a completely new and different light.
Locative narrative is very fascinating, and I found even more so with Murmur Toronto because it allows me to see the city from a completely different perspective – through new eyes.
-Over and out-
Signed: Non-Analog
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