Teri Rueb
Unfortunately I was not able to attend Teri Rueb’s lecture or workshop this week. So, in lieu of that experience, I researched her style and discovered a few interesting projects she has created.
One project I found interesting was Itinerant, a “site-specific sound installation in Boston Common.” In this project, Rueb installed sound clips in different areas of Boston Common and participants activated them as they “wandered” along a pathway. Each sound clip communicated a part of the story of Frankenstein, which is significant because the work is centered on the idea of the dangers of technology in the hands of human ignorance. Ultimately, Rueb’s goal in this project was to cause participants to reflect on the place of technology in our society as well as how their identities are defined by technology.
Another project I found to be very thought-provoking was Drift. In Drift, Rueb installed interactive sound on a four-square kilometer region of beach. As participants wandered along the beach, they experienced the sound of the water and the sand interlaced with quotes from famous philosophers and poets, spoken in different languages. The purpose of this project was to disorient individuals, creating a contrast between their experience at that moment and their everyday life, where GPS technology gives people the ability to have the latitude and longitude of their position at any time of the day. Through the project participants had the opportunity to become lost, wandering in search of the next sound clip, and to widen their perception beyond the linear paths we typically take each day.
One final project of Rueb’s that I was impressed with was Trace. In this work, Rueb installed sound clips in a national park in British Columbia. As participants wandered through the environment, they activated certain sound clips, each of which told a story of loss. Through these sound clips of mournful poems and songs, Reub created a “memorial environment” in which those who have past are honored in a non-traditional yet highly profound way. The use of technology to memorialize lost loved ones is significant in that it highlights the changing definition of mortality. As technology makes it possible to preserve memories and ideas for generations, mortality becomes less easy to define—forcing us to consider whether its scope includes only physical life, or whether the preservation of a memory can lead to immortality.
Having researched Rueb, I find I respect her work more than some of the other artists we have discussed in class. Whereas some of the other ideas are interesting, such as mapping the interpersonal connections between “Familiar Strangers” or simply tracking the frolicking movements of two dogs in a park, I find that Rueb’s projects are more focused on inspiring personal reflection. For this reason, I feel that is it more powerful, by inspiring individuals to be aware of their personal connection to their surroundings and to the impact of technology on their daily human experiences.