November 03, 2006
THE WISHING TREE
Blends the Cutting-Edge with the Ancient
THE WISHING TREE: Boredom Research, a leading artist duo from Bournemouth have constructed an innovative interpretive new forum. Visitors to the website of Lancaster digital arts organisation folly will be among the first in the world to use the new generation of online forum.
The new message-board interface is based not on text, but is an interactive digital drawing of a "Wishing Tree". The inspiration is from the Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees in Hong Kong where visitors make a wish by writing it on yellow paper which they tie to an orange. They then throw it up high into the wishing tree and try their luck at getting it to hang on one of the branches. If the wish hangs in the tree it will come true; if not the myth claims you have made your wish too greedy.
The message board Java applet f.wish faithfully reproduces the process of creating and throwing one's wish into the tree. Users are also able to virtually tug other people's messages off of the tree to read and respond to them.
"The whole interface is beautiful and creates a new kind of experience for the web" said folly's Artistic Director Kathryn Hughes. "With f.wish, we have attempted to reinterpret the notion of the message board to inspire our users to reflect more fully on their online communication."
The project is also being augmented by the distribution of Chinese fortune cookies, which hold paper messages directing people to the site.
boredomresearch are Southampton-based Vicky Isley and Paul Smith. They interrogate the creative role of computing, producing beautifully crafted software art that presents a fresh approach to our technologically fraught lives. The duo are interested in engaging communities online through contemplative and rewarding experiences.
Posted by jo at November 3, 2006 09:04 AM
