Critiquing Hypermediated Public Space Through Exploratory Design

[FIHSIHKAHLVRRCHUWAHL<>] (pronounced “physical-virtual” and abbreviated to FV) was an interactive media art installation that experimented with the integration a gestural computer interface with an architectural surface through the use of computer vision. It was exhibited within the Claremont public promenade, Western Australia (WA), as a part of the Public Platform urban prototyping competition, 2016. The project challenged the conventional use of surveillance technology as a means of controlling public behaviour by exposing its presence through playful interaction, facilitating a dialogue between participants and the authors about the use of locative technology in the design of cities. In this paper we outline the design process and methodology in order to examine the relationship between conceptual experimentation, computer simulation, the design of the architectural form, and the design of the interactive programme. We then reflect on the outcomes of the installation, showing different ways the work generated opportunities for engaging the public in discussions about the impact of surveillance technologies in public space. We then discuss political and ethical tensions that placemaking introduces to design-research and identify how future urban prototyping projects might reveal and critique hypermediated space – public spaces in which cultural productions are tested for fitness based on their ability to attract and hold the attention of large flows of people.