Author: Shahram Chaudhry

Shahram , Oscar, Sid

Spent time from 11 40 – 1 30 in the exhibition place , figured out the locations for our pieces and showed them to Pierre and his colleagues.

Oscar got materials and print outs.

We wrote hints and organized the order for the hunt.

Then we also actually got to making the puzzle which involved a lot of patience and meticulousness because we had to cut out cardboard with sharp edges.

We’re attaching a time lapse of some of our work progress. Good Night/ Good Morning!

Work not focused on certain media

Include the human factor in work

Idea of improvisation and including spontaneous reaction of audience/ performers – charlotte VR thing and audience interacting differently each time with one of their projects

Don’t want to repeat ideas as they are, look at it from different perspective when client asks for a similar theme to previous works

We need to view AI as a co-creator , use technology to elevate us

Raise more questions than answers

Goal is not to create reality as it is

Lateral thinking involved – what they do might not be cost effective or efficient but opens doors to new possibilities

• Trying different things : adding different materials to piano, experimenting with making new music instruments such as the one made from fan- friend builds instruments from trash ( similar to Kollage Kollectiv)
• Improvise in music : play anything, experiment with music, playing music using glass, underwater music
• Engage with each others’ musicality, trying to get out of the music “rules:, exploring new possibilities
• Contingency planning: keep plan B if places have no piano
• Being aware of your body affects music making/ creative process in general
• Nylon bites
• “Who knows how to do it?”
• Wanted to find out how people who aren’t musicians engage with experimental music
• Sound eating: took the risk of compromising hygiene initially – shows passion
• She does series of work which are similar to each other but develop in different ways
• Learn a lot from collaborating with others
• She focused too much on the outcome of the “creating” process (if I may) and didn’t explain much about the creative process/journey

Shahram Chaudhry

I initially wanted to write the words with just the first and last letter of the word but then I saw the rubric which mentioned 25% of the grade being for spelling and grammar. Too bad! Also, I tried to keep the expression and tone semi-formal because formal is boring. After all, quoting the Professor, “This class is not like any other academic classes,” so why not try to be unconventional?

I also didn’t want a black and white document, so I decided to add some colors to my document. I used a picture of an illustration of Berlin from the internet. Also, I didn’t want to use basic fonts such as Times New Roman etc. and since I am reflecting, I chose a font that would make the document seem somewhat like a journal entry. And you see my autographs at the end of each page, well I believe that my reflection is a work of art and what’s a work of art without the artist’s autograph?

Below is the link to my final paper. Happy Reading!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w03iz6f1MYDkvQg8efPKsE9Vhtp_VbMZ/view?usp=share_link

• The only artist who cared enough to make the effort to get to know each of us individually, really putting into the effort to connect with the audience
• The fact that he asked about access needs – very considerate of the audience
• Similar to what Harshini mentioned, he talked about how it is important to give artist talks because artists don’t think about their work much otherwise, it is a good process to stop and think
• It is nice to articulate
• When artists state that their work is their work and they don’t want to explain it, it is just an excuse to not go deeper into their work
• He has created his definition of choreography: organizing the body in his own time and space
• Loved how he focuses on the audience, especially in the loneliness intervention where he isn’t even on the stage, giving the audience the reins, and creates new experiences each time not just for the audience but also himself
• “The Audience are the performers”
• He’s a courageous person as exemplified by his works such as the undressing room where he is getting as involved in his work as to get undressed in front of his subjects showing all his fears, vulnerabilities, and insecurities to strangers
• I think as compared to the other artists that we’ve met over 2 weeks, he is neither humble nor arrogant: he is very confident about this work and knows exactly what he wants to do but at the same time he’s very inclusive of his audience too
• As someone who’s been a science/CS student her entire life, it was one of the few times that I felt that art has more meaning to it than just aesthetics (no offense to anyone) or making art for the sake of making it, there’s a bigger purpose to it. 
• I could never have imagined that dance and choreography could be used for political activism, the amount of depth and courage his entire career trajectory involves is impressive
• “Artists are not protagonists, they are not genius, they are not the center of their work” The audience needs to be involved too and they need to put in something to get something out of the experience
• Even non-participation is participating, the audience and artists need to work in collaboration (not participation as it limits what is expected from the audience)
• He also emphasized a lot on the concept of solidarity and working together as a community, realizing one’s privileges and biases, and working within the best of one’s capabilities e.g. he mentioned how he doesn’t expect artists in China/Singapore to engage in political activism because they don’t have the liberty to without endangering their lives, but he has that privilege so he should acknowledge it and put it to good use
• I also resonated with his argument that before beginning any artistic venture, he asks himself if he is the right person in the right position to get involved in that work, e.g. should he get involved in making art about women’s struggles when he doesn’t know much about it nor can relate to it? Will he mansplain by doing this? The idea is that an artist shouldn’t do everything they find interesting, somethings are not meant to be done by them

Shahram Chaudhry

This chapter delves into the impact of others’ opinions on artists and proposes mindsets that can help overcome this challenge. I agree with the author’s observation that artists often find themselves trapped in a continuous cycle of self-criticism. I experienced this during the creative process, where I became preoccupied with how my work was perceived by others. When our work fails to garner the understanding, acceptance, and approval we seek, we inadvertently give our audience control over our creative choices. Case in point, I vividly recall taking notes during class discussions on the first 2-3 making assignments, intending to replicate what was well-received by the majority.
Furthermore, the writer aptly points out that artists face the expectation of producing new and distinct pieces while also maintaining a sense of familiarity with their previous works. This expectation could be frequently observed during class and studio visits when my classmates inquired about the thematic choices of artists or the lack of commonality in an artist’s body of work.
Also, we need to acknowledge that most people will struggle to comprehend an artist’s work, especially when it belongs to a new genre. While the desire to be understood is inherent in human nature, allowing ourselves to become dependent on the audience’s understanding can stifle creativity. In such cases, artists may find themselves producing work that is condescending, arrogant, or both, simply to cater to the audience’s comprehension.
The author proposes a solution to this predicament: creating an “insulating period,” a gap of time between the completion of the artwork and its sharing with others. This interval allows the finished work to settle within the artist, finding its rightful place and providing an opportunity for self-understanding. Consequently, when others evaluate the art, their response becomes less daunting and holds less sway over the artist’s creative process. Inspired by this suggestion, I experimented with the early completion of the making assignment this time, which helped me be somewhat satisfied with the quality of my work.

Shahram Chaudhry

While the control of consciousness immensely improves the quality of life it is hard to achieve because it can’t be transmitted through cumulative learning, instead it is acquired through trial and error and also because knowledge of control of consciousness needs to be reformulated according to cultural contexts.

I believe that the aim of flow-inducing activities is  to promote deep concentration in order to teach oneself control of consciousness for e.g. sports players are physically separated from the audience and the outer world, immersing them fully into the ‘reality’ of the game. I also believe that ‘flow just flows (i.e. sometimes it just comes naturally) ‘ especially keeping the hanging out with friends example that the author gives. I have noticed over the period of the last two semesters that sometimes when I hangout with my friends, it’s really fun and refreshing and we don’t get bored even after talking for hours while at other times 5 minutes into the hangout and we’re all already bored and ready to head back. As the liveliest person in my friend group (or so I like to think), several times I’ve consciously tried to note what works for our group and what doesn’t but to no avail but now I understand the logic behind it .

Although all kinds of games (in a very broad sense) can be divided into 4 categories, agon (competition based games e.g. sports), alea (games of chance), vertigo (perception altering activities such as merry-go-round/scuba diving) and mimicry (creating alternate realities, all forms of art fall into this category), the aim of all of them is to transport participants into a new reality. I agree with  the writer’s logic that  flow inducing activities lead to growth because it is human nature to get bored or frustrated easily, if we engage in the same activity for too long, i.e. so we seek new challenges for enjoyment.

 Another point the writer made and I resonate with is that if we try something new out of boredom and come across something challenging, although we have the option of stepping back into our comfort zone, it is hard for us to ignore a challenge once  we’re aware of it. For example, several times over the weekend, my friend needed help with online payments bookings etc. although I failed several times and I was not in ideal conditions to help, I took the challenge personally and was more persistent and invested in solving the problem than he was even though I could easily ignore the problem as it wasn’t even my problem.

 I believe that the writer’s observation that different cultures have developed their own forms of art, play and ritual to improve the quality of their experiences, and they probably occupy more time and energy than work holds true. For example, native new Guineans spend more time looking for colorful feathers for their ritual dances than food. Similarly, in my culture, cricket is a huge deal and you can see many people crazily following all the matches and others playing it even in the scorching summer heat.

Shahram Chaudhry

Words: Pride and Bride

As I contemplated these words, I realized their immense potential to express a myriad of ideas. Within the realm of marriage, pride and honor have traditionally been associated with women, particularly as brides. It occurred to me that by creating a textual portrait of a bride and incorporating the words that spring to mind when contemplating the institution of marriage, I could contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding women’s rights. Especially in my country, where these discussions hold great significance, it is crucial to critically examine what marriage means in our present context and what it should signify for us to foster a progressive society that rejects patriarchy and discrimination.

While many words, such as honor, dignity, and respect, share a similar essence to pride, they carry slightly different connotations. In our culture, these terms are often used interchangeably, reflecting their importance in shaping the perception of a traditional marriage. It is worth noting that most of the words that come to mind tend to have negative connotations, which stem from my personal perspective on marriage. However, amidst these notions, there are also positive words that embody the ideals of a successful marriage.

The varying sizes of each word within the textual portrait represent the importance accorded to them in a typical Pakistani marriage. For instance, “Honor” takes up a significant portion of the portrait, underscoring its paramount importance, while “joy” occupies a smaller space, suggesting a lesser emphasis placed on this aspect. This portrayal aims to initiate a reflection on the multifaceted nature of marriage and encourage a nuanced dialogue on reshaping its meaning to align with a progressive society.

By presenting these words in a visually impactful manner, I hope to evoke a thoughtful response and contribute to a broader understanding of marriage in our society.

• The website was very professional and tech-looking so I assumed we’d be going to another very professional studio, so actually seeing art in a very raw form especially in a naturally aesthetic and artsy environment (in a very rundown way too) was a very good change
• They started small from a very basic idea, but were willing to work with it despite all their fears of not meeting certain bars, just kept going and are now actually a pretty big initiative
• The idea that art is never about perfection has never been accentuated more (all other artists talk about not caring about perfection yet it seems that they aim for it)
• Feel proud about using stuff that others no longer need shows humility and open-mindedness
• The fact that they mostly use recycled materials and work out of available materials goes to show that they are actually very creative: it is easy to think of something to make and acquire the required materials/tools and equipment but it is much harder to work out of limited resources ( no one knows better about this than us since we do it everyday)
• Also, not letting financial constraints demotivate them shows that they are very passionate about what they do
• “Don’t get influenced by technology, just use it as just another tool.” I think this is something we all need to reflect upon
• I think it was worth missing the Prague trip for 🙂

• Class of 2018
• Born and raised in Sri Lanka
• Switched from SRPP to Film and New Media and Theatre in Abu Dhabi
• Photographer and Projection designer
• Study away in Florence , NY
• VJ : video jockey – eye opening for her because not spending 16-20 hrs on editing like usually do
• Putting body into work
• Being someone from two very different places, exploration of new identity, art gave a way to process that
• During pandemic, trying to understand relationship between her and the outer world
• How body can be seen as extension of nature, removing gender binary concept
• When I have an idea, I say lets do it
• Very honest, open , no fakeness  : also talked about climate change protestors being performative and how she strongly dislikes it
• Also very relatable probably because NYUAD alumni, knows us on a deeper level and probably understood the purpose of the visit and the nature of our class better
• You don’t have to know everything, you just need to know a little bit to collaborate so others can help you
• Made a piece based on 3 worlds: first one inspired by mangroves, second one inspired by desert and third one inspired by view of water – first world was inspired by ongoing wildfires in Australia, Amazon and San Francisco
• Three distinct worlds but how to tie them together and generally we engage with screen passively, experience it in a totally different framework each time you come back to it: Harshini wanted screen to be an active engagement for audience
• She didn’t want to convert this piece to VR because the weight of the headset would take away the comfort
• If we are creating something online, embrace the digitality entirely 
• Try to find what you are interested in
• Going to artist talks is good because you rediscover and realize new things
• Be okay with being honest about your shortcomings: she told her supervisor that she knew nothing and was scared but very willing to learn
• Also, use the knowledge/medium that you know until you learn new skills
• Writing reflections can help discover consistent modes of working/making art ( basically ties back to the concept we studied that we need to analyze our own work to learn from it and grow from it)
• Loved how she noticed how its hard to keep eye contact after pandemic
• Berlin’s landscape not very inclusive: but if a space doesn’t exist you have to create it
• She had a very interactive and engaging conversation style