Authors:
- Sage Cammers-Goodwin
- Michael Nagenborg
Cammers-Goodwin, S. I. , & Nagenborg, M. H. (2020). From Footsteps to Data to Art: Seeing (through) a Bridge. Contemporary Aesthetics, 8(Special Issue).
From Footsteps to Data to Art
Seeing (through) a Bridge
While the guiding vision for IoT (Internet of Things) suggests that technology withdraws to the background, this paper explores the case of a physically visible, IoT-enabled footbridge to be placed in Amsterdam in summer 2020. The question is, how do aesthetic relationships with the bridge shift as knowledge of its IoT capabilities increase? The outcomes of user observation and two community design workshops are discussed, focusing on 1) what individuals desire to know about the bridge’s IoT capabilities, 2) how to best inform users that the bridge is collecting data, and 3) what capabilities people would want a smart bridge to possess and be made explicit. It is found that a postphenomenological lens might help address changing aesthetic relationships between people and the bridge. This revelation might be useful to apply to other “smart” infrastructures.
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Header image: AI - Canva (2).png
Icon image: BRIDE_-_main_-_copyright_MX3D.original.jpg