Bubbles

With the rise of social media, our interactions have become increasingly digital. Social media limits us in our social groupings and beliefs, creating a ‘bubble’ through which we perceive the world.

Our proposal is for a pavilion that brings people physically together through tactile activities that encourage joy and engagement.

Sited on the front lawn of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, the intervention is intended to be artistic and sculptural – a piece of approachable, interactive art. The aim is to prompt engagement and conversation between diverse groups of people, transcending age, culture and belief.

Housed under one sculptural canopy, the activities are centred around sensory experiences: sight, sound and touch. The ‘sound space’ plays instrumental music, activated when multiple people work together. Meanwhile, the ‘sight space’ involves an array of fibre cables, revealed only when two or more participants approach the entry, opening up to show a luminescent array of colours.

Uniting these zones is a sinuous translucent wall – the ‘touch space’. People are encouraged to write wishes, messages, questions and more on cards which are then placed on the wall. This tactile forum lets people read and listen to each other’s stories, encouraging the exchange of ideas and insights into the lives of others.