project:
A Happening is Happening
Can virtual reality be used to stimulate social participation?
In 1960s Amsterdam, the Provo movement held Happenings in Spui every Saturday night at midnight, energizing like-minded people to social participation using only 'traditional media.'
We want to explore whether today's digital landscape can be used to bring communities together in real life by turning Spui square into a living museum and staging a live Happening on Museumnacht.
Our aim is not that our audience only experiences a Happening, but they BECOME the Happening. We want to inspire action among the attendees, prompting them to participate and share.
Our target audience are digitally adept and culturally active youth. But we do not exclude the local community, many of whom may recognise the Happening and its significance. Tourists will also be attracted to the commotion and pursuaded to join.
Our project transports all people coming through the Spui on Museumnacht to the cultural past of Amsterdam. We will also test new media's power to bring people together, holding it against the methods of traditional media used by the Provos in the past.
We plan to use web 2.0 media including viral videos, web pages and social networking to generate a grassroots-like following. Our Happening will also incorporate different digital elements to further test the influence of web 2.0 on active social participation.
Will the voices, opinions and energy that online anonymity gives us be echoed on the Spui, or does 'active participation' mean something different today?