Thoughts on Blind-folds?

From Chelsea Wiki

• I found them frequently fascinating and certainly disconcerting. Being in a public space but totally oblivious of what was going on, what people’s reactions were (maybe we should have had a video-camera trained upon those entering the gallery – preferably not too obvious?), etc., seemed interesting things to explore.
• I felt that it was successful in emphasising the importance of the visual in conversation; those pauses after one has spoken being so easily read as people frowning or mouthing obscenities. Comments of “oh sorry – I was nodding my head, but that was probably not very obvious” were charming and much appreciated. The suggestion that it might have altered the dynamic of the group – that some people found it easier (or maybe just some found it much more difficult) to speak frequently – seems interesting.
• Lizzie seemed less than ecstatic at the initial proposal: was our first publicly visible thing a laughable failure – or was it just a meeting (or a meeting and a laughable failure)? *Not sure how successful it was as a thing in a gallery; the idea of opening up the meeting to external – and, unlike a documentary, potentially interactive – scrutiny, seemed a good idea, but maybe it could have been handled better. Us being blind-folded might empower the audience, but it could equally alienate them – it certainly imposed an ‘us and them’ situation. The seating was quite closed with no consideration of nice inviting spaces for anyone wishing to participate. Is it of anything but symbolic relevance that it should be open to public contribution rather than just passive observation? How could someone just sit down and add something considered and potentially of help until they had been filled in on the whole project, etc. The link to the wiki was a way of promoting this, but it is a little much to expect of people (especially as we only gave the wiki address rather than specific information regarding were on it the relevant information could be found). Maybe a brief text outlining what we have done and what we are trying to achieve could resolve that. We could have tried to connect Ian’s laptop to the projector – a live feed of vaguely comprehensible minutes sounds pretty fun and might inform people just joining us.
• The fact that nobody joined in doesn’t mean they weren’t listening – but who is to know?
• Possibly we could try to get feedback in a less personal way (although it seems a shame to lose the more intimate connection of actually talking to someone) e.g. questionnaires by our table researching what people would like the ICA to offer (seems very boring, but maybe if we want to make the ICA more like how people want it, some slightly objective data is more adequate than us just thinking about what ICA related stuff has gnarked (sp?) us lately). This could then be extended to the street, local houses (the high-rises and cramped terraces which abound in that area), other galleries/institutions, etc. the data could then inform our work and hopefully be of use to the ICA (which brings me on to the more sensible suggestion of just asking the ICA if they have done such samples, and then stealing their figures). Could we do something enjoyable, artistic, publicly accessible with the data? – Trevor, over to you….doughnuts?
• I think this has extended beyond the remit of ‘Thoughts on Blind-folds’

[edit] Blindfolded Notes

[edit] Blindfolded Minutes

No particular agenda.

There is a large element of trust involved .

What do you we want to know>

Dt , its incredibly difficult as a group to come together. Attempt a form of delegation to particular members.

Damian looking at meeting and documentation Beth potentially research and games and externalising communication – beyond wiki and ctiyical text. Natasha consider if we needed flyers/posters etc – p.r. role?

Its easier if it goes through one person> Counter productive,

Difficult to focus, relying on each other,

Management consultancy

It’s about management and organisation.

We do have deliverables.

1st years ideas:

games> finance might be appropriate. Inviting different communinities, the academy on the mall – craft based. Next door – the mall gallery Different instutions. Tug of war/picnic. Games… hide and seek? Enthusiastic? Advertising…. Getting people in for free – but is any of this interesting> no – because it doesn’t have anything in particular to say… it’s just playing a game in the ica> but… breaking down what playing a game in the ica down can yield interest. The negotiation of space (open offices to public?)

Cant it just be a single event> try out something….

Tasha. Maybe it should be an event within an event>

Is this a call to action?

Ideas broke to nothing. Some ideas seemed

People had objections… how comfortable people feel within it.

The games aren’t looking at all aspecets… dufferebt evebts fir different aspects of/concerns.

who’s comgiin here?

make the experience here more enjoyable.

Beth attended one talk one talk at the

In not targettiing a particular audience do. Don’t know where I was going here 

Pricing.

Can we merely dumb down the content> a more open debate>

T

The idea London newsletter?

We’ve gpt a [hotocopier  I’m not sure I know enough about this>

ica.

Trevor joins-------

It was a set of specialist talking about human rights, quite happy to listen to it, but not nec. Talk to someone about them. Soooo overly political. It w

Talks

The ica has power to gather specialists to to share their knowled – people

Its important to have interesting discussions as we as that gesture.

I’m finding wearing a blindfold incredibly stressful.

Abstracts – approach them within the hcompany….

Blindfolds

It came from discussion To distractions – what’s around you –