Project

Flights of Fantasy

Flights of Fantasy is an interactive research and installation project that focuses on the acts of receiving and sending video messages. Inspired by an analogy between the carrier pigeon and electronic networks, the installation is designed to occupy two rooms. As visitors move between the spaces, they either signal their wish to receive a fragment by opening a door in a forest of birdcages, or they co-construct story fragments using a construction interface that resembles a child's pocket puzzle. As the visitors move between the two spaces, the installation invites them to reflect on an essential attribute of communication: that one cannot be at once the prime creator/sender and a prime receiver of a message or story. Creation changes the opportunity for the message or story to surprise. A similar construction and receiving interface can be found on the WWW. This installation contradicts the passive-receptive reverie traditionally associated with the cinematic experience. Moving through the space in the DeCordova Museum, or playing on the virtual site, the visitor is confronted with a subtle call to action. Without action, there is no story created and no story received.