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re: CONSTRUCTION 

patience is a virtue...

And finding beauty in industrial chaos — doubly so.

LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) construction in Edmonton has dogged neighbourhoods for years & years. And when you're in the thick of it (as I have been) it's hard to imagine a future as bright & shiny & green as the brochures promoting public transit would have you think.

So instead of cursing the delays, the confusion, the thump, thump, thump tearing apart a neighbourhood, I began to listen and hum under my breath in such a way as to re-craft the ambience. I played with the cacophony of LRT construction. Inspired by the pentatonic scale, I found the means to harmonize with all the commotion...

And the idea was hatched for re: CONSTRUCTION.  


If you can't fix it, feature it...

Turn the racket into something musical
you can dance with... 
Picture
THANKS TO ALL  beta-testers for comments & suggestions on how to best enjoy interacting with re: CONSTRUCTION hypermedia-puzzle software. 

The desktop version is now live (read the 'how to' bullets ahead, then click on the link to load the software).


  • Watch the DEMO VIDEOS below.
  • For best result use MICROSOFT EDGE (preferred) or GOOGLE CHROME browser on a DESKTOP/LAPTOP  (minimum 8GB RAM on either WINDOWS 10/11).  
  • SEQUOIA 15.0 on a MAC is extremely buggy & tends to crash. Mobile devices also perform inconsistently (especially APPLE's SAFARI).
  • Make sure your WEBCAM is turned on (grant permission when prompted) and *centred* atop your screen.
  • Turn up the SOUND as loud as you like. For spatial audio use earbuds. Stereo speakers also create 'sweet spots' (move around to find them).
  • You can use your MOUSE to click to advance to the next puzzle. However, the mouse won't track or move the puzzle pieces around the screen, instead watch for...
  • A round LRT ICON UI (user interface) tracks your movement on the screen; the icon grows as you move closer, shrinks back, jumps around, and is deliberately choppy, so...
  • SLOWLY move around  —  go slower than slow  —  the graphic components become a fluid collage of unexpected abstract art. 
  • Adjust volume & the graphic mix by moving toward & away from the screen, so the webcam can track you. If you like what you see, try slow looking  for two minutes at any spot that captures your fancy...
  • As you watch intently, the audio elements blend into a minimalist soundscape composition (one-of-a-kind and unique to you). Alternately: when a sound mix pleases you, hold your body still and watch how the soundscape affects how you see.  
  • Slowly duck below your webcam, and see what happens when you stand on your toes raising you above the webcam's FOV (field of view)...
  • If the graphic puzzle pieces are not moving, or you see a solid picture from the get-go, it means your webcam isn't turned on. The hypermedia cannot work until you grant permission.
  • By design, re: CONSTRUCTION is never the same way twice. Some days for interactivity are better than others  — expect bumps & inexplicable hiccups typical of transit delays  —  the hypermedia emulates the hubbub & occasional nuisance of LRT construction in the city. 
  • As per the privacy statement, none of the data of your interactions with re: CONSTRUCTION are retained. 
  • Ready to roll?  Once you click on the link below, it will take under a minute to load the software (longer if you're not on fibre, sorry). Please note the hypermedia software is resource-heavy; re: CONSTRUCTION is not recommended for mobile phones or tablets. 
  • start re: CONSTRUCTION​

    How'd it go for you? 

Submit
  • story trees home
  • STORY TREES 1 + 2
  • story trees (opus 3)
  • re: CONSTRUCTION
  • ancillary media
  • workshop
  • Press
  • BIOS + CONTACT
  • canvas print collages
  • privacy statement