Vivian Wenli Lin and Geraldine Chung
INTERACTIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM
Tisch School of the Arts, New York University

April 21 2004

Title: HOLLER!

Hey baby, is your daddy home? Whistles, stares, and the undressing of your body with their predator eyes. How does a woman in an urban setting get to where she is going without a barrage of sexual harassment? From lewd stares, to the licking of lips, to declarations of love and/or sexual invitations, when does a complimentary act turn into a potential form of violence?

Thesis Statement:

Holler! is an interactive video installation that explores the sociological impact of street harrassment by simulating the experience of the cat call.

Process:

Holler! is an interactive video installation that explores the critical "art of hollering." The piece aims to subject users to the experience of the "holler" as well as introduce stories of women who regularly confront the instigators of this unwelcome attention.

Technology:

Holler! detects a single user inside a controlled space using infrared proximity sensors connected to a BX-24 chip, which in turn sends serial data to a computer running Max/MSP+Jitter. Upon entering the space, the user triggers the first experience, which will consist of an aural barrage of whispers, comments, murmurs, and sexual invitations. Four speakers set up around the space will continually harass the user until they continue to step into the installation. Upon doing so, this action triggers the next experience, which is visual. A projector that is ceiling mounted will transmit a series of videos onto the far wall of the installion. In these videos, men continually stare, gawk, holler, and hit on the user. To add insult to injury, three clear panels along the hallway allow outsider to gaze into the space, creating an uneasy sense of being watched. The barrage does not stop until the user decides to "confront" their harasser by boldly stepping forward. Once the infrared sensors detect this motion, a new video is called up, in which a woman tells her story of confrontation on the streets of New York.

Hardware:
-Sharp GP2Y0A02YK Distance Measuring Sensor
-BX-24
-projector
-Macintosh G5 computer with RS-232 serial connection, running Max/MSP+Jitter, ProTools LE
-DIGI 001 sound interface hardware
-4 speakers with independent plugs

Installation Description:

Thesis Edition, May 2004:
Small-scale prototype, Fall 2003
Evolved Concept Diagram, Feb 12 2004
ITP Floor Diagram, Feb 26 2004
Streamlined Concept, April 1, 2004
FINAL VERSION April 21, 2004

In our final edition of Holler!, we plan on constructing a long, narrow hallway lined with infrared sensors. Upon entering the space, the user will trigger a series of aural hollers, where various men will call out suggestive names and say various sexually explicit things to gain the user's attention. These aural hollers will not stop until the user continues down the hallway. As the user progresses through the space, he/she will trigger a a video projection on the far wall. The video will consist of men "hollering" at the user, creating a sense of discomfort and unease. The only way to proceed through the installation is for the user to "confront" the harrasser by boldly stepping forward, approaching the far wall, which would then call up an alternate video in which women share their stories about confronting men who sexually abuse them on the street.

Spring Show Edition, May 2004:
FINAL, April 21, 2004
Instead of using a full hallway and projector, we would use a section of a wall and a plasma display. The display will continuously play a series of men hollering at everyone who passes by. However, when a person steps up close to the piece, (confrontation), a sensor will detect their presence and call up a video of a woman's story of confrontation.

Prototype Edition for ITP Winter Show 2003:
The viewer approaches a long hallway and walks towards a video projection on the far wall. The image they see is a man who begins to "holler" at the viewer. If the viewer decides to "confront" this situation by walking closer to the image, the "hollering" stops and is replaced by a video sequence in which a woman shares her personal experiences in dealing with these situations.

Contact Information: