Come Closer

Squidsoup’s work combines sound, physical space and virtual worlds to produce immersive and emotive experiences that enable participants to take active control of their surroundings. Through the Clark Digital Bursary in 2004/5 Squidsoup created Come Closer, an installation that explored notions of shared space and proximity to others.

A combined research and art installation at Watershed in 2005, Come Closer used wearable technology and collaborative interaction to explore and challenge the sense of personal space and proximity to others. In the installation, participants became acutely aware of each other; aware of their presence in both physical and virtual space. They were encouraged to probe and investigate the boundaries that define personal space, to test them and to cross them. The movements of the participants were logged and analysed for expected and unexpected behaviours.

Come Closer illustrated that it was possible to overcome traditional inhibitions of gallery visitors with multimedia interaction, resulting in an engaging experience where visitors began to lose, albeit temporarily, their reservations and feelings of personal space.

To get a sense of Come Closer visit Dandelions, the online version of this work: an infinite space that aims simultaneously to be an immersive experience and to highlight the limitations of that experience. The 3D effect (when wearing 3D glasses) creates a sense of depth and space that tries to envelop the viewer.

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