Prototypes¶
Prototype 1: The Internal Stop Sign¶
→ embodied self prototype → internalized control, hesitation, self-surveillance
Description¶
Before entering public space, I create a series of short, private movement tests where I intentionally begin to move (sway, shift weight, mark steps) and then stop yourself the moment discomfort or self-judgment arises. Each stop is noted: where it happens in the body, what thought triggers it, and how quickly control intervenes.
Relevance¶
This prototype isolates self-surveillance before external surveillance appears. It helps me to identify which movements feel forbidden even without witnesses.
Outcome¶
A personal “map of inhibition” that shows how far the public acts should push discomfort without tipping into paralysis.
Protoype 2: Spatial Threshold Mapping¶
→ site-based speculative test → how different public spaces tolerate deviation
Description¶
I visited multiple public spaces (metro hallways, shopping streets, plazas) and perform minimal, almost invisible deviations from normative movement: slowing down drastically, standing in partner proximity without touching, or walking in mirrored steps. No full dance yet—only gestures that hover at the edge of acceptability.
Relevance¶
This prototype identifies spatial thresholds: how much non-normative movement a space can absorb before reactions occur.
Outcome¶
A comparative understanding of which spaces invite avoidance, curiosity, intervention, or indifference—directly informing site selection for the acts.
Prototype 3: The Unclaimed Dance Frame¶
→ social perception prototype → audience expectations and categorizations
Description¶
Me and a partner enter public space dressed neutrally and take a tango hold without music, signage, or performance cues. You remain still for several minutes, holding the posture, then dissolve it without explanation.
Relevance¶
This prototype tests what happens when dance-like position can be percieved but not activated, and when the public cannot easily label the action as performance, protest, or entertainment.
Outcome¶
Insights into how people project meaning, when documentation begins, and how ambiguity functions as a protective or disruptive strategy.