Create Interactive Art That Pulls Us Closer

What if you encountered an interactive art installation when you walked into a conference, park, building lobby or other semi-public place? Better yet, what if it was designed to spark your imagination and spur conversations with others nearby?

That’s what happened when TEDx group organizers met at their annual TEDActive meeting in Whistler, British Columbia in March. They discovered a lightly wired Dome, dubbed The Act of Stillness, where they were invited to “Slow down, pause, be still. Dare to free your ideas and let your truths emerge,” and then post notes of their creative experience on the Dome’s walls for others to see. Consequently, many of the subsequent conversations among attendees started at a deeper level. Zappos founder Tony Hsieh calls such unexpected and often productive encounters collisions. The installation was designed by the 2015 TEDActive Artist in Residence program creator, Rebecca Shapiro whose earlier interactive artwork was displayed at the Portland, Oregon airport.

Hint: Help others adapt your idea to their situation. For example, Shapiro created a tool kit for TEDx groups around the world to use in partnering with local artists to create art that reflects their conference theme and spurs greater engagement among attendees. TED is encouraging the TEDx groups to exchange images and “how to” advice regarding the art they create so they can learn from each other.

What if the state chapters of an association similarly collaborated to create interactive art installations at their conferences? Imagine what associations as diverse as the American Hospital Association and the National Recreation and Park Association hosted a similar program? They might inspire attendees to co-create ways to enhance the on-site experience of those they seek to serve. Further they could build bonds between attendees for future collaboration around sweet spots of shared interest they discovered.

Find Inspiration for Your Bond-Building Interactive Art Creation

Here are some examples of public art that pulls people closer – and that might prime the pump for you to inspire your colleagues to co-create your own pop-up or permanent collision-spurring art installation.

• Outdoor installations began popping up in Philadelphia neighborhoods on May first, including van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” along a bike path, and Claude Monet’s “The Japanese Footbridge” and the “Water Lily Pool, Giverny” in the middle of a park, thanks to a collaboration between the Knight Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and local residents. In that tradition the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society creates convivial Pop Up Gardens each year.