Cre@ting mind-space

A digital representation of James Turrels Within Without.

By Tudor Barbulescu August 2015

Motivation and Description

The artifact I chose to represent is American light and space artist
James Turrells sky-space. Located in the gardens of the National
Gallery of Australia in Canberra, Within Without, a site-specific
lighting installation is a proper capo opera [1]
I find this piece to represent a spiritual sanctuary for regular, nonreligious people. Words like religion, God, and such, have been,
with time, perverted so that they no longer mean the same as 50 or
2000 years ago. People who consider themselves regular, like
anybody else and the like seem to find endeavors that are
somewhat spiritual, humbling, or solemn, weird, not normal, or
without a fixed purpose; Approach it from the wrong perspective,
with preconceived opinions, ideas, and judgments, and you will not
find the way.
This experience provides an unaffected, unspoiled and mysterious
view of the subject of matter, while being entertaining, subtle and
profound.
The physical object is a roof-less trapezoidal pyramid, 28 by 28
meters at the base and 8 meters tall. On the outside, its covered by
what seem to be patches of Spear or Giant Lily. Surrounded by a
body of water, to get to the entrance located at one of its corners,
you start walking on a descending path, which splits the waters into
two; deeper, below, and you find your way into the pyramid.
Inside, in the center of there is a round room with one entrance,
having the shape and feel of a Buddhist Stupa. The Altar.
Surrounding it we find, again, a pool of running water. The sound of
dripping, moving water is an important element, as it offers a sense
of grounding, of ever-recurring, pointing you towards the now.
As you walk along the inside walls of the pyramid, towards the
altars entrance (which is not visible from the pyramids entrance,
but rather from the opposite side), the path ascends. When you get
to the other corner of the pyramid, you are at the same level that
you were when you started. Enter.
Inside, there is a round bench that goes along the wall and a hole in
the roof that lets you see the sky. The bottom half of the wall is
colored gray and the upper half white (were inside a round room,
inside a single wall). On the floor, a circular pattern comprised of

rectangles surround a circle, in the middle of this chamber, that

gives you a distant feeling of planet Earth, but with more oceans.

Interaction, Observations and Reflections

I arrived there at about 16:35 on Wednesday 5th of August. I chose

this time for two reasons: First, because the best time for visiting
this place and fully experiencing it is either at dusk or dawn, second,
because it was the first day of a three-day sound-installation,
created for this sky-space, by the Ireland-based Australian artist
Robert Curgenven.[2]
Walking on the path towards the entrance, it seemed like the place
is empty, and that I might have made a logistical mistake. I had this
feeling all the way towards the entrance of the inside chamber, until
I spotted 6 or so people in there, sitting quietly, meditatively,
whispering some words, or just watching the sky. The soundscape
hadnt begun yet, so I still was a bit uncertain whether anything
special would happen. The sounds you could hear were of running
water, wind, birds, distant traffic and whispers. The stupa also has a
very deep, certain, but also subtle reverberation effect, such that
when a man with thick voice whispered some words into what
appeared to be his womens ear, a very smooth sound came about
that felt like it was a planned part of the exhibit.
As I was sitting there with my eyes semi-closed for 5 or 15 minutes
(time passed differently inside) more people came in, and I was
really enjoying feeling relaxed, at peace, but also taught that
everything is perfect the way it is, that a sound-scape was not
needed and it might even ruin the experience. Not all people
seemed to be content with what was happening though, some of
them had slightly grim faces (as one has after a long day of work).
This could also have been caused by the slight awkwardness of the
situation, where 10 total strangers sit in a room, facing each other
and not saying a thing.
Continuing my note-taking-while-meditating activity, a smooth but
definite binaural sound started, which centered all of us, now 11 and
a half people (a mom carrying a baby was also present), in the
happening. It came just at the right time, when the wave of
expectation that something will happen overcame the ability for
unbothered contemplation. The sound-scape was indeed great; it
had a sudden effect. The sun was moving below earth.
As the colours of the sky changed, so did the colours of the room.
Having LED lights installed along the wall, they were turned on
dimly at first. As colors subtly changed, my perception of the sky
also did. It had the same color as it always has, only that then I saw
it differently. I really saw it, because normally I dont look at it. I find

that this gave me insight into my mind, expanding my capability of

seeing and understanding the way I see and understand the world.
During this exhibition, the seats were heated at 20 degrees C, so
even though by the end it was really cold, you wouldnt notice until
you stepped outside. At the peak of it, there were around 21 people
inside, and Robert Curgenven was one of them, I found out a day
later by seeing a picture of him. He isnt one of my interviewees.

Further considerations
Having such a complex nature, the online representation of this
work of art should be as profound, to the extent that a computer
screen, or a phone can offer. I would entitle it A |> of the sublimes
[ |> = play ] or @ mindless journey towards mindfulness. The
mediums of expressions available are light, colour, space and
sound.
But how can you integrate these four elements into a computer
interaction? Well, light and colour are what screens emit, decent
pair of headphones, checked. What about space?
To answer this question, we have to specify what sort of space we
are talking about. The types of space I can think of are physical
space and mental space. Everybody knows physical space, the
distance from A to B, the inside of a light-colored room (which
seems different than the inside of the same dark-coloured one), etc.
But mental space is a more flexible concept. You cant put your
finger on it. It might mean the space to think objectively, clearly,
without subjective judgment in order to complete a task (the kind
necessary to be a Judge), or it might mean the space created by
learning and thinking with new concepts (different language).
Whatever mind-space is, I feel like Turrells work is about
reassessing, cleansing and expanding that. A Work of Art.
Creating mind-space using online content is not at all difficult.
Meditating aided by binaural beats on YouTube, marveling at
interesting images of wild exotic mushrooms, or computer
generated art on Tumblr, reading, sharing profound texts, captioned
pictures that send a powerful message on Facebook; these are only
a few ways.

Initial Design
My digital representation includes a view of the stupas roof that
changes colours as it does in real-time. Featuring binaural sound
that matches the view, intensity of colours and brightness of the
room and sky, every now and then a quote that provides for a
deeper meditative state would fade in and out of the screen.
To include the fact that the viewer also creates the art, the awe, the
object could also feature the augmented sound took from the

microphones input; the sound will have added reverberation, delay

and other sound effects, as here. [3]
The interface would be simple: As you enter the website, a large
descriptive text appears over a blurred abstract background,
something like Experience James Turrels works, reshaped for the
wider web, under which one button labeled Start appears.
Pressing the button, youll get to stage two, a page with three dropdown menus, so you can configure the type of experience youre
looking for, by selecting the color scheme (original, cold-colors,
rainbow, etcetera), type of soundscape (original, chill, native,
binaural, etc.) and speed/intensity. These configurations aim to
noticeably change the mood provided. A check-box stating Use
microphone will appear. There will also be a Go button, which will
send you to stage 3.
Stage 3 is the actual artifact, which will walk you through the
pyramid, inside the altar, sit you down on the bench and look up at
the roof. Based on the configuration, the room and the sky will
change colors, abstract sounds will play (also given input from your
microphone, if you chose to). Image distortions might also occur.
Quotes with content depending on the configuration will also fade in
and out. From here, there will be an Exit button that sends you
back to the front page.

Interviews
After the exhibit has ended, I interviewed a few people about it. I
have recorded their answers using my mobile phone. Before
starting the actual interview, I greeted them, explained that I would
like to conduct an informal interview about what they have
experienced and the scope of it. Out of the 7 people I asked, 4
agreed to it. This is my interview script (questions asked after
the initial introduction):
1) What is your name?
2) Have you been here before?
3) How did you hear about this exhibit? (This would let me know
if people knew that something special was happening)
4) How did you feel inside? (This gives me a clue that my
observations about how people related were correct OR that I
have overlooked something)
5) This is my idea of an online representation (and then
presented it).
a. How close do you think it is to the actual artwork?
(Helps me to keep my artefact related)
b. What do you think about the fact that you are able to
configure your experience? (This feature was not

present in the exhibit, so I want to hear some opinions

or commentaries)
I then ended with a thank you, or a follow-up discussion. This was
my initial plan of the interview, however the questions varied on the
persons and the answers they have provided. The total amount of
recorded material is 8 minutes and 1 second.

One
Asha (was with a friend) came outside in the middle of the
happening, as I was going back in after talking on the phone. I
introduced myself, my intentions, and she accepted to be
interviewed. (Recording started after I had asked her name)
Me: SoMy first question for you is: Have you ever been here
before?
A: Uhmmyes, I have
Me: Inside?
A: Yes I never stayed inside this much, this is the first time that I
have spent an excessive amount of time there.
M: What do you mean by excessive?
A: Well usually I would sort of go in, look and go out, I never really
sat in there and looked up and I guess process some of the illusions
M: The illusions?
A: Well I think that part of James Turrels work revolves around light
and illusion, like sort of I mean (Inconclusive)
M: How did you feel inside there?
A: I kind of felt calm, I found it to be really relaxing, it was just nice
sitting down and listening to all the different sounds... Its not
something that I would usually enjoy, but it just seemed cool
Now I explained my design idea.
M: How close do you find it to be to the actual experience?
A: Well, I mean I think that it can be a good overview of it, maybe
like a teaser or something.
She seemed to think of a nice thing to say.
M: Mhm you dont seem very convinced
A: I guess you cant do a lot with a website, compared to this big
pyramid here! What is your purpose, in the end? I feel like the
people also make the experience, the vibes change

Her comments made me think

M: Thats fair. I mainly want to offer people the same kind of feeling
that I got while sitting there, the same as you did. I also want to
offer them a glimpse into Turrels work, as well as I can through a
website. Interaction wise, how do you feel about the fact that you
can shape your experience?
A: Obviously, you cant do that in here, but I think it can be nice to
program your experience as long as it doesnt get too confusing.
But how will somebody know how the real thing will feel?
M: Well you can also pick the original configuration
Now, I decided to allow users to skip Step 2. Original configuration
will be default.
A: Ah, I see
M: You had very good observations, thank you very much for your
time.
A: Youre welcome!
She then smiled and left. She was about 18.

Interview of Two
Adela (daughter) and Louise (mother) were walking out of the
pyramid, as the exhibit was ending. They looked very energetic and
wanted to help me. The interview went like this:
M: Have you guys been here before? (Question for both of them)
A: She has(Referring to her mother)
L: I bring all family members, when they come to visit in Canberra,
of all ages. () Its a family event, I love it.
A: Shes found it touching enough so to bring all of us in there, and
see the sky through that hole
L: (to Adela) Did you like it?
A: I loved it, it was very imaginative.
M: The sound is a new thing. Right? How do you think it changes
the experience?
A: I taught it helped with the pace, and it made it a more discrete
event, rather than you know, the sky is always changing, you can
always look at it; but this made it more of an event for the onlooker.
And also, because James Turrell isnt a local artist, hes an American,
and the guy who did the soundtrack is an Australian, so I guess it
was a nice local take on it

L: And if you come often like me its nice to have some variation I
hope they do food next time!
The tree of us laughed.
M: That would be a nice thing!
Now I explained my implementation
M: How do you feel about this idea?
L: (after giving it some thought) I think the museum would be
interested it this, as a means of attracting people, because I dont
think this is so well known
A: Especially in Canberra, where so many really interesting events
take place without being marketed well enough!
M: I guess you can think of it as a marketing tool, but my end goal
is to provide the same relaxing effect that you get while youre in
there, without having to come here. Do you think that something is
missing?
A: Not really I can see how a calming soundscape and some
subtle changing images can get you into a state of relaxation, if you
take a while for yourself and do nothing else. I wouldnt imagine how
to include other people, but you know Maybe you dont need to.
L: And I liked the idea of creating sounds from the environment,
from the room, that is really good The acoustics inside there are
marvelous.
()
M: Thank you! Your answers helped me a lot. I wish you two a
lovely evening!
They wished good luck said good byes. Louise maybe was 50 years
old, and her daughter, 24ish.

Three.
Helen was the very last person to exit the pyramid. I had observed
her for a while in the beginning, when she seemed a bit somber.
Now, she was pleasant to talk to, and entirely present. M: Im
Tudor H: And Im Helen
M: Hello Helen!
H: Nice to meet you!
M: Have you been here before?

H: Not to that particular space. I have been to the gallery inside,

but not to that space; and I heard about it on the radio yesterday
afternoon ().
M: How do you think the sound comes into place?
H: () There were times when I was looking up at the hole, and it
almost felt as if the music was one with what was happening in the
sky, sort of thing; they were coming together. And sometimes,
something happened with the music, and it was as if the music was
causing the clouds to float across the space. Like it was dragging
them around.
M: It sort of seemed that as the music intensified, so did the
lights and colors. () How did you feel after a while in there?
H: I felt quite peaceful, and I felt quite relaxed, and very
confortable actually, I taught Why, am I sitting in here with these
what 20-odd people that I dont even know, sitting here in silence?
And its very comfortable, and we were all very much enjoying what
was happening.
I planned to ask her about my idea, but decided not to, so that the
conversation would keep going at this uplifting pace
M: Have you heard about this artist before? I was referring to JT,
but she taught about Robert C.
H: Just yesterday I heard (someone) interview him on the radio, but
I only heard a bit of it and had to get out but after a while, Lord
behold, I got back into the car and, the fellow in the afternoon was
replaying it, and it started off from when I left off when I heard it the
last time; so I said I think Im meant to go see this chuckles So
I dont know much about him at all ()
Look, Im not into music, Im not a real music connoisseur, but I do
like listening to music and I think that music itself lead one into I
guess its kind of into a meditative state, it sort of allows you to stay
in the moment and not to wander off, () it sort of put you into a
focus, it took you up to the hole to look up through and into the sky
actually () I felt like I wanted to lie down because my neck got a
bit sore, but
I continued to talk to her for a while, and then we both went our
ways. Helens 55. Or 65?

Redesign
Based on these interviews, I decided to reconsider some design
aspects. First, I could introduce two types of sessions: Individual and
Communal or Collective (havent settled on the name, yet). I came
to this decision by acknowledging the fact that this experience

includes, and is shaped by the participants to it. Without

participation, there is no experience.
The Individual button on the front page will have a drop-down
option; hovering the mouse over, it allows users to select either
Random, which will send them into a random session, or
Configure. By default, clicking the button will skip Step 2
described above. The Communal button will also feature some
options: Create commune, which will allow you to create a
session, which other users can join, Join commune, which allows
you to pick a session from a list, or Random commune. In these
communes, you can choose to take audio input from particular users
to shape your own experience, or you can include all users input,
mixed together in a special manner. One may also be able to
connect to anothers web-cam. Future plans might include a mobile
app.
I decided to make a larger list of questions and to ask each person a
unique set of questions. Some of them might be: What was your
favourite part?, Why did you come here?, or Would you think
about making such experiences more involved into your life?.
What makes a good mobile-app that does this-and-that?. Who
knows what answers I might get. A single set of questions might be
unproductive. Each new answer raises a new question.

Conclusion
This experience was indeed fulfilling. I am very grateful for what it
became. It was a joy observing and interacting with new. It didnt
only offer me a fresh perspective, but something more. From talking
to people, I received invaluable feedback for my design, and I
stumbled upon marvelous insights.
Designing an object for human use is an active experience,
involving more effort and resulting in greater, accomplishments than
one might think; some, unexpected. There are many things to
consider for a good design: it must work well for all types of users,
not be prone to errors, be intuitive, simple and innovative; all of this,
while being conventional. A lot of trial and error is part of
discovering a good interface; often, bad designs spoil users
appetites for a good idea.
Unattached, unfiltered and honest, a designers role is to kindly
observe humankind.

References
[1] Within Without
[2] Climata sound installation

[3] Inception IOS app featuring augmented sound.