The Puppets & Puppeteer is an abstract exhibition that gradually reveals societal dynamics to the visitors immersed in its space. The proposal brings a delicate sensuality to a series of constructed landscapes, claiming the human body as an artistic site by encouraging participatory engagement. Light and color as well as the use of nylon as a sculptural medium are the principal material and design operations that introduce a bodily dimension to the space.
The design encompasses three layers of moving mechanisms that cohesively tell a story of societal hierarchy, collaboration and oppression. The conceptual and formal formwork of the exhibition serves as an opportunity for personal reflection and social interaction. Different areas of the museum represent varying levels of community engagement. Ultimately, the proposal stages intimate encounters that powerfully engage the visitor’s own physical presence, while the juxtaposition of hard and soft materials reawaken the visitor to the simultaneous strength and fragility of the world.
Upon entry, guests are confronted with views of complex, organic landscapes and curved grid lines. Guests perceive three levels of space and can determine which path they would like to take. The highest level on the ceiling contains mechanized systems that control moments happening below. The first floor and mezzanine are designed with landscapes that include individual environments encompassing soft, ergonomic “pillows” where people are actively engaged.
Through the use of track systems, people are being pushed back and forth inside the pillows by visitors and the machines above them. People can move this system with effort or more easily with the help of another person. The manipulation of people is a representation of hierarchy within society.
In some instances, the scheme is reversed and you become conscious of what it is like to take a stand against this system. Moments show what would happen if decisions were made from the bottom up instead of the top down. After progressing through the entire exhibition, you are more aware of the feeling of being oppressed in society. However, through the use of user participation you also have learned important lessons about collaboration in these situations. By either being manipulated inside a pillow with another person or needing help to move a lever, there is an important lesson to be learned about people coming together to help remove barriers in society.
