The secret rules of engagement

work in progress

In ‘The secret rules of engagement’, I break new grounds with an installation. My point of departure is the apparent visual aspects in traffic regulation being touched by unintentional human interaction. I disconnect the bold signs of demarcation and authoritative configuration of traffic regulation (to guide, regulate and control) from its context and tuck it into a serene and musingly atmosphere of self-government. Per contra, the matrimonial and mystical reference in the work stipulates that, far and away, we are all committed to alliance and seek for secureness and belief.

By using the multidimensional character of space, the rhythm of order and ranking and the articulateness of rituals and symbolism, I intend to give the work the appearance of the enigmatic constitution of objects in the teeth of its imperative genesis. The upheavals in the work from the practical root to its dreamy derivative, thereafter anchored into the ritual sculptural corpus, threatens to rob all meaning in the work, at once nurturing the notion of cognitive dissonance. The installation takes on the magical effect of spatial contraction and concepts such as itinerary, intersection, centre and monument that defines public space and fetches it in a ravelled and sedative shrine.

The work and display

The full setup of THE SECRET RULES OF ENGAGEMENT can vary upon the setting of display.  Core of the installation is an altar-formation that is configured by multiple stacks of tiles similar to the installation view you can see above. These stack of tiles will be accompanied by a couple of eye-shaped car lights on traffic poles, one of them being called FORD IS SUCH A FLIRT and DAEWOO IS GOING DOWN IN THE DM. 

The 'car eyes' blink on the speed of a regular eye blink. The car eyes responds on the visitors interaction with the work. By making use of IoT (internet of things) and AI (artificial intelligence) the car lights will answer with a flirt blink or a wink. So if visitors touch the installation gently, FORD responds with a flirt blink. The visitor can also flirt with FORD or DAEWOO by sending them a flirt wizzle or a lovelingly DM.

The car eyes are work in progress. On the right you can see a first impression of what FORD IS SUCH A FLIRT will look like.

The installation is a floorpiece that can be shaped according its location. For Big Art it will have an estimated size of 5x5m.