Amsterdam Asking Questions

June 2004

This graduation project for the Architectural Design Department of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy Amsterdam ran in real time during the graduation show in June 2004. A mapping of connections between citizens of Amsterdam, visualising a successive and expanding way of asking questions.

According to the zip code (x-y axis) and the moment of entry (z axis) a participant of the exhibition is positioned on the screen in the shape of a sphere, after which he/she chooses a number of questions that are appealing to the participant (these questions had been submitted by previous participants). The participant then formulates an own question and submits it (for the next participants). Participants with same chosen questions are connected to each other by a line. The extent to which the participant is connected to others can be read by the size of the participant’s sphere. The bigger the total amount of shared chosen questions, the bigger a persons sphere is visualised. A distinction can be seen between people who make ‘superficial’ connections with others (they only have a few similar chosen questions, but with many people) and people who make stronger connections with others (they have many similar chosen questions, but with few people). Therefore the size of a person’s sphere is continuously adapting to the (new) group dynamic. 

amsterdamAQinputscreen

Snapshot of input screen

AmsterdamAQoutputscreen

Snapshop of output screen

 Programmed by Robert Triest