In Gabi Schaffzin and Jan Kubasiewicz's Design Symposium class we were given the task of creating a useless machine. My idea was to create a box for transporting digital data. The unique properties of the box would make it only appropriate for containing the data you hold most dear.
To test my concept, I created a drawing using corn meal and chia seeds. I then carried my drawing in a box on my 1.5 hour commute.
As I walked to my bus stop I became hyper aware of my surroundings, every bump or jostle could spell disaster. Even the slightest vibrations in the air could affect my drawing.
Upon arriving to my destination I opened the box to see how the drawing fared. It was a unique experience carrying the fragile drawing, I noticed so much that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
The digital version of the experience involved a small black box with an arduino and an accelerometer. The box would be used to physically transport digital data from place to place.
And in transport, the digital image would be subject to the same forces that play upon their physical counterparts.
What makes an old photograph or handwritten letter precious? Does bestowing the same properties of wear and tear on digital data make it more real?