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Rhianne
Hoffmans

Memorising the Unexpected

Project details

Year
2020
Programme
spatial-design
Practices
Autonomous
Minor
Public & Private

Memorising the unexpected is about learning the effect of external causes on the memory and the productivity of the citizens in their daily lives, by rethinking the influence of surprise in public spaces. This research is about the use of external memory today and how it influences our perception of experiencing events. While doing my research I discovered that less precise memories are formed if an experience is documented and shared on social media. So I asked myself: can the use of external memory be reduced when we are more aware of our environment?

I explored the reaction of onlookers when encountering household objects in the public space. See the results in the video below.

I believe that people need to focus on the experience they have daily rather than the memories they create. This can be achieved if people are more aware of their surroundings and this research examines how the effect of dopamine increase in the brain can contribute to that. Through a sequence of public interventions that act as an unexpected element in the environment of citizens, I can cause higher productivity and awareness in the daily lives of people.

Meet the family of household objects that were placed in public space to allow its passers-by to be more aware of their environment and thereby reducing the need for external memory.