Jen Southern

I went to see the Decode and Quilts exhibitions at the V&A yesterday. I was really disappointed by the Decode exhibition of digital design. The most positive thing about it was that it was showing digital, interactive and networked works in a major museum space, and its three themes of CODE, NETWORK and INTERACTION made the exhibition very accessible. But where was the content? Even the social media works felt devoid of social impact. The works that were chosen made digital design look like digital wallpaper and mirrors most of the time. At times I was reminded of seeing a video camera linked up to a monitor in a TV shop window when I was a kid – we could have played in front of them for hours, with the novelty of seeing ourselves in real time on a screen. There were four pieces in this exhibition that did almost exactly that, but with different technologies and at different speeds. To me, none of them were as interesting as Bruce Nauman’s 1970′s video work ‘Live-Taped video corridor’. It reminded me of the best of our undergraduate degree work for the BA Multimedia Design course at Huddersfield, although of course some of their work was inspired and influenced by some of the older works in this exhibition. A good exhibition for introducing techniques of digital design, but disappointing if expecting a reflection on the current state of digital design.

Then on to the Quilts exhibition, still thinking about code, network and interaction, and immediately Ele Carpenter and Open Source Embroidery came to mind (a great project in which the shared ethos of open source software and embroidery are brought together).  The code of the complex patterns handed down from person to person through patchwork and quilting patterns, each adapted and developed by subsequent stitchers. These networks evolving through design are also reflected in the communal production process and the social use of quilts as objects passed down between generations. And the codes really are complex, the patterns of tiny pieces in traditional patterns that evolve over time. For obvious reasons a favourite of mine was the Mariners Compass quilt design and a sampler made by 10 year old Ann Isabella Reader in 1800, “Silk satin ground with a design showing a map of England and Wales, with the counties outlined and labelled in stitch. Embroidered in silk in running, outline, split, stem satin and long and short stitch.” (from V&A collections). Each county stitched around with at least 4 silk threads, for her eduction in needlework and geography, an interesting link for me to other textile maps.

In the quilts exhibition code, network and interaction also became social actions, political commentary, historical record, tactile experience and adaption through everyday use. What was disappointing about Decode was there in abundance in the quilts, and is there in other digital work, just not the ones exhibited here.

One of the best contemporary works in the Quilts exhibition was Jennifer Vickers work ‘The Presence of Absence’ (as described here) a quilt made of paper with a square of blank newsprint for each person who has died in the second Iraq war.

I just came across Foursquare http://foursquare.com

Its another social group software that lets users find where their friends are and leave recommendations and play games with each other. Harvard have just started using it with their new students.

here’s how Foursquare describe themselves:

“Check in

People use foursquare to “check-in”, which is a way of telling us your whereabouts. When you check-in
someplace, we’ll tell your friends where they can find you and recommend places to go & things to do
nearby. People check-in at all kind of places – cafes, bars, restaurants, parks, homes, offices.
You’ll find that as your friends use foursquare to check-in, you’ll start learning more about the places
they frequent. Not only is it a great way to meet up with nearby friends, but you’ll also start to learn
about their favorite spots and the new places they discover.

Share your experiences with friends
Think of foursquare as an “urban mix tape.” We’ll help you make lists of your favorite things to do and
let you share them with friends. Think beyond your standard review – we’re looking less for “The food
here is top notch” and more for “Go to Dumont Burger and try the most amazing Mac and Cheese ever.”
Foursquare will keep track of the things you’ve done, help you create To-Do lists and even suggest new
experiences to seek out.
As you check-in around the city, you’ll start finding tips that other users have left behind. After
checking-in at a restaurant, it’s not uncommon to unlock a tip suggesting the best thing on the menu.
Checking-in at a bar will often offer advice on what your next stop should be. Every tip you create is
discoverable by other users just by checking-in.

foursquare badges
Earn points and unlock badges!
Every foursquare checkin earns you points. Find a new place in your neighborhood? +5 points. Making
multiple stops in a night? +2 points. Dragging friends along with you? +1.
And as you start checking-in to more interesting places with different people, you’ll start unlocking
badges. There are badges for discovering new places and for traveling to far away places. Spending too
much time singing karaoke or been hitting the gym consistently? Yes, there are badges for those too :)

foursquare specials
Become the mayor! Unlock some freebies!
We all have our local hangouts and foursquare keeps tabs on who’s the most loyal of all the regulars.
If you’ve been to a place more than anyone else, you’ll become “the mayor”… until someone else comes
along and steals your title.
It may sound a little silly until you see the list of places that are offering
freebies to our mayors – free coffees, free ice-cream, free hotel stays – it pays to be a foursquare
loyalist and check-in whenever you go!