Find more information about the SIMESITEM 2012 event here.

More information here: http://www.physiologicalcomputing.net/?p=1886

Roger McKinley introduced the ARtSENSE project to the audience and Stephen Fairclough and Kiel Gilleade presented a demonstration of a selection of their bio-sensing tools. During the demo they monitored Kiel’s physiological state while he watched a short selection of film clips from both FACT sourced material (film submissions for the Abandon Normal Devices Festival) and mainstream films (James Bond). There followed a short discussion on the project who fed back on the demonstration and the project.

Throughout the day Ute Kreplin set up and demonstrated her online “aesthetic” feedback tool and gathered some public response to a series of images that had been constructed to stimulate a range of reactions. These responses were captured on a feedback form.

Discussion took place with delegates before and after the presentations, particularly around using the technology as a learning tool for young people to help them engage with culture and historical information in new and exciting way. There was also significant interest in the 2nd FACT User Case scenario – the commissioning process for an artwork that helps disseminate the project and test it in the public realm.

The event was the first from FACT/LJMU to demonstrate the project to the Arts Professional public and, even though the project is in an early phase, the feedback from the Arts Professional public indicated a keen interest in the project.

Another fundamental aspect was the creation of a logo that would represent all of these underlying ideas and with which all partners would identify themselves with.

The very first logo proposal came from IOSB and largely inspired many of the versions that followed as well as the consortium’s final selection

In a meaningful and minimalistic way, this logo presented a 2-dimensional artwork (and more particularly a painting) decomposed in pixels. Below the acronym ARtSENSE, we can see inscribed in three distinct round pictograms an ear (for hearing but also for acoustic processing), an eye (for seeing, contemplating and for visual AR) and a hand (for bio-sensing with wristbands and for pointing, as is often the case in museum visiting but also for gesture recognition and interaction with the AR system).

A 2^nd proposal, especially regarding the left part of the IOSB logo, was provided by FACT. The idea was to explore the possibility of replacing a figurative 2-dimensional work of art with an abstract, Piet Mondrian-like, painting (3, 5), as proposed by CNAM-A and then integrate some pictograms representing human senses.

The MNAD in Spain also largely contributed in the final shaping of the logo (8, 9). This logo was more colourful and apart from reintegrating pictograms for human senses also introduced a new element, the human brain but in an abstract way that makes also think of the human mind as a large and still largely unexplored “labyrinth” full of potential. A 2^nd proposal from MNAD (2, 6) introduced the idea of inserting an “augmentation” on the “ARt” part of the logo, much like using a magnifying lens that accentuates the word “ARt”, thus making allusion to augmenting the museum visiting experience.

In the meantime, the CNAM-B (MAM) came forward with another idea (1,7) where in between the acronym components “ARt” and “SENSE” a “window”/”threshold” element is introduced, representing the consortium’s vision for providing a new perspective in art and cultural heritage interpretation.

Shortly before the deadline set for deciding which logo would be chosen, CNAM-A (cedric) proposed to make a final attempt for a combination logo.

The “ARt” component was to be preserved, as well as the “magnifying lens” view of the word “ARt”. The three pictograms for the human senses and thus the  notion of adaptive AR, introduced by the consortium, was also to be maintained. The consortium seemed to agree for the “eye” and “ear” pictogram, but could not find a satisfying idea for the 3^rd round pictogram to be included above the “sense” component. A “light bulb” was proposed (for “now I understand” or “I have an idea”) as well as a finger (for pointing/gesture recognition) but none of them seemed to be satisfactory, self explanatory and visually attractive. IOSB then introduced the idea of creating a “heartbeat” pictogram. This idea was immediately tested and found to be the most effective. The “heartbeat” element is minimalistic, decipherable, directly related with physiological and affective computing and can also be related with the emotional and affective impact of a museum visit and all feelings that the initiation in arts can provoke. It also complements very nicely the “seeing” and “hearing” pictograms.

This final attempt proved to be so succesful, that immediately after the submission of this logo to the project stakeholders, the only issue left to discuss was the selection of the colour to be chosen (proposed in red brick/orange and blue).

So as to resume with the key ideas, values and visions behind the ARTSENSE logo:

The “ARt” part has a strong correlation both with Art and AR. The “sense” part refers to the human senses but also to important work that will be carried out in research axes such as AR, acoustic processing, physiological computing and adaptation/personalisation ontologies and metadata.

Note that the logo can be also “read” (and this is not the fruit of an accident) and recognised by all museums/CH institutions as well. Not just because the word “Art” is present. But also because the 3 senses pictograms represent the “usual” order by which museum visitors/art lovers “proceed” and engage in a cultural/museum visit. They see, they hear (and also discuss) and they experience (based on the “body” of their already existing knowledges, experiences and likings). Within this sense the ARtSENSE logo could be also read as “see, hear, feel, sense, experience” and thus learn in a highly adaptive and personalised way.