Pacific Mall Walk

This walk was a class excursion that, I am sure, scarred us all in one way or another. Whether we each suffered from the actual humiliations/fears from preforming our works or from the unwelcoming atmosphere of the people and security... or a combination of them both, we each lost a little piece of ourselves this day. The Pacific Mall is the Largest Chinese Mall in North America and is known to be a rather nifty tourist destination. However, our class did not go there to shop.. it was strictly business.  We were all assigned the task of creating a finished work for each of the following:
Walk #1: A collection
Walk #2: A Walk Against the Plan
Walk #3: An Action


Walk #1, My collection
Guests in my Life

               For a collection we each had to assemble a deliberate, unusual collection that reflected a significant aspect of the place and its inhabitants. 

For this work I decided to collect signatures. I walked around the mall and anyone I passed I would politely asked if they wanted to sign "My Guest Book." This way I was bringing attention to the people in my life who I usually pay little attention too. No one really notices the people that you walk by in a day but they are nonetheless there. Through this project I was giving them a voice and a name.

However, I struggled with receiving signatures due to the odd nature of my request in a place where my race was a minority. I am sure there was much skepticism towards me in asking people for their signature and living location. My requests were turned down 50% of the time.   

 Additional Thoughts

 Usually guest books are left stationary and are placed on a table near the entrance of a institution or w/e but I thought it would be interesting to have a traveling guest book, despite me being the guest.



Walk #2, My Walk Against the Plan
Malls are designed with a very deliberate plan, to steer visitors in a prescribed way, and to compel them to perform prescribed behaviors. Create and preform a walk that disregards or goes against the plan!
For this work I looked at the mall plan layout of the first floor. It was funny to see that all the stores in the mall were laid out in a grid- like pattern; organized with letters and numbers. This made the layout look more like a board game than a map. With this notion I printed out 4 mall layouts and formed a game of battleship out of the grid.
I was going against the plan since I was not walking at all, or even using the layout for its actual purpose.
 I must also make note that I had a great time on the three hour bus ride home battling Jocelyn for rein over the seas. Better luck next time tho. HA! 

Walk #3, An Action
Preform a single gesture, stunt, act, or non-act.

Short and simple. Paul, Jocelyn and I all had a tea party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLbeJH7Vq6I&feature=player_embedded