QB

A joint collaboration between: Aleksandra Jankowska, Andy Sun, Alyssa Joines & Lillian Crandall.

Imagine a monolithic, modernist 1-ton black cube towering over rushing commuters. Next to it, a tiny makeshift, 20 pound cube, chatting with people as they walked by. Responding to initial prompts such as “Hey,” and “Can you hear me,” people would respond with “How’s the rent in there?” or with just a simple "Hello." Accessible and approachable, the chatty box disrupted the monotony and habits of standard commuters and created a playful creatique of monolithic institutions.

Iteration One

The initial phase was taken up by extensive research into the space. It was vital to understand the space as a commute route, who travels through it, at what times, for what purpose etc. The first iteration of the installation is made with low fidelity materials, using a simple, cardboard box on a wooden dowel. The audio device implemented within was a JBL 2.0 speaker connected to a phone using Bluetooth.

Due to weather and strong winds, there was a fast realization that the base of the QB needed to be weighted down more, as well as be wider. The audio was also an issue, as it was hard to hear due to the wind and outside noise. The cardboard cube served its function as a prototype, providing vital knowledge for the second iteration.

Iteration Two

Throughout the process of rebuilding the QB, new materials were used. Wood for the outline of the structure and the base, and muslin to cover the faces. The idea behind it was to make the installation more aesthetic, as well as add rigidity, so that the QB could be spun and interacted with more. The base was also wider and heavier in order to prevent the wind from bashing it too much.

The wind was even stronger on the weekend the installation was deployed. It was impossible to maintain the installation, therefore it was moved to the next day. Conditions were much more favorable and the QB was interacted with and received favorable reactions from both children and kids.

All in all, the QB was meant to garner a response of positivity and humor. While not being the rigid, loud structure hoped for, it was a comedical satire, seeing the monolith towering over its little minature.