Design :: an act of collective collaborative decisions.

Elemental information::

Timber   [natural resource] ::  250 nos., borrowed from Pan Ocean International

Rope   [binder] :: 2750 m approx.

GI pipe   [man-made]  :: 200 nos, borrowed from Aima Construction

Photos   [subject at stake]  :: 350 images from 350 individuals

Area of exhibition :: 6700 sq ft

Paving blocks [man-made, footprint] :: 36 sq ft, 6ft x 6ft[160nos.] approx.

% of Footprint/Area of Exhibition Area  :: 0.5%

Each element that makes the display structure, when on its own, lacks structural stability. However, once united, bonded by a force [rope], every element compliments its neighbouring elements. This process of unification propagates across the entire structure, thus reinforcing each element leading up to the ‘whole’.

This act of binding/packing is not based on a decision by a single person but rather, in a collective. Every unification point is a decision by one or more person. There are about 540 connection points [where the natural resource <timber> meets the man-made <GI pipe>]. Each point of connectivity is different. The differences in the knotting reflect a decision made by a person at a given moment, by the person’s mood, energy levels …

Contextual Interactive Information ::

Source                                                     observer                                                                    animator

Sun Path, Wind, Water [Sea]             [natural observer of the exhibition]                 light and shadows

Human Circulation                               [local observer, experiential progression]     human interactions/visual continuity

Road Traffic                                           [external observer at speed]                                  structural perforations/visual ambiguity

The structure allows for visual interaction from a number of vantage points. The structure, though reacting with the line of vision does not entirely blind it, rather, it provides new depth and shadow. The structure is then, itself, part of the subject. The differing points of view are equally true and equally valid, based upon their own unique presumptions of time and space; are among a number of different interactions one may have with the exhibit, they each give out separate messages, which together embody the engagement of the whole.

The Photos

Postcards from the Frontline brings together 350 photographs made by 350 Maldivians.

These images act as a collective illustration of 350 interpretations of what Maldives is to them.

Individually each image represents a unique voice that speaks of the photographer’s reality of life in the Maldives.

By breaking the boundaries between state of the art photo equipment and a simple mobile phone, these images speak directly to the audience with an urgency to be heard.

It is less of an exclamation about a great photo, and more of an appreciation of what the person who took the photo chose to portray.

The images are not forced to form a narrative, but rather allowed to exist in a space to be experienced as individual thoughts or memories.

By the minute differences in their general similarities, they exist together, complementing and contradicting themselves.

A Message to 350 recipients from around the world:

Hello.

This is your Postcard from the Frontline.

It comes to you from the frontlines of the battle against climate change. The Maldives, made up of a group of 1190 coral islands in the Indian Ocean, with its white beaches, blue seas, breadfruit tree-lined streets and verdant coral gardens, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. With its average land area at 1.5 metres above mean sea level, it is also one of the most vulnerable places on earth to the effects of global warming.

With increasing sea temperatures bleaching our corals and storm surges washing away our beaches, the Maldives has its days numbered. Here on our sandy shores, we are doing all we can to protect our home. Unfortunately for us, this is not enough.

For our country to survive, the carbon concentration in the atmosphere needs to be reduced to 350 parts per million, from the 390 ppm it is now.

We need your help in saving our islands. These islands are our homes, where our children play in the same sands that our forefathers walked on. They need to be protected at any cost. We ask you now, as people with an endangered future, to amplify our message before the world.

Postcards from the Frontline, the movement which brings you this message, is an initiative by Maldivians to inform the world of our plight. We are affiliated with the global climate campaign carried out by 350.org.

At the beginning, we asked all Maldivians to submit photos of things they would miss the most about their country. The photograph on the front of your postcard is one of the 6540 images that were submitted by Maldivians from all walks of life, over a period of one week. This amounts to one photo representation by every 56 Maldivians.

This postcard brings with it the wish of an entire country, and we leave our future in your hands.

Please help save the Maldives.

Postcards from the Frontline: The Exhibition is all set to happen on 24 October as part of worldwide activities to support the International Day of Climate Action.

350 photos selected for this campaign will be exhibited at Raalhugandu Kuda Park. The exhibition will continue on all day and on the 25th of October.

Once again, many thanks for all of you who have submitted your photos, encouraged us throughout, and helped us in many many ways. This would not have been possible without your generous support.

Come see the Maldives through the eyes of Maldivians and be part of a world wide movement!

Postcards from the Frontline: The Exhibition

Venue: Raalhugandu Kuda Park

Time: 4:30 pm

Date: 24 October 2009 (exhibition continues on 25 October 2009)