Affects in Motion: Designing Embodied Knowledge

Experimental workshop-installation for the Society for the Study of Affect (SSA) Annual Conference. October 12 to 14, 2024. Lancaster, PA

This project was created in collaboration with fellow researchers and educators, with special thanks to our engaged participants who helped reveal new dimensions of material-knowledge relationships.

This experimental workshop-installation explored how physical interactions and material engagement could transform our relationship with impasses, threats, and promises. Hosted at the Ware Center in Lancaster, the project was part of the "Evocative PITS" strand of presentations, investigating new approaches to experiential learning and emotional engagement.

The project consisted of three interactive installations, each designed to materialize different aspects of knowledge-making and affect theories:

Installation One: The Mass of Impasse

A participatory installation where visitors transformed news articles into a physical web of tangled media. Participants, particularly those grappling with news-induced anxiety, found unexpected catharsis in the act of tearing and weaving headlines into a collective mass. The installation revealed how physical interaction with media could shift its emotional impact, with several participants reporting a sense of agency over previously overwhelming information.

Installation Two: The Ribbon of Threats

Visitors wrote personal threats on silver satin ribbons, creating an evolving installation that challenged conventional relationships with fear and anxiety. The materiality of the ribbons—their shimmer in sunlight, their length and flow—transformed written threats in unexpected ways. One participant spent time writing the same threat repeatedly across six feet of ribbon, later describing the process as "therapeutic," highlighting how material engagement can externalize and reshape internal concerns.

Installation Three: Does Promise Float?

What began as an investigation into promise and disappointment evolved into a collective exercise in play and discovery. Participants gathered around a water tray, testing various objects' buoyancy while chanting "Will it float?!" This seemingly simple activity generated moments of shared anticipation and joy, introducing vital elements of play into the exploration of expectation and outcome.

Reflections: 

After individual exploration of the installations, participants gathered to discuss their experiences and engage in rapid design exercises. Working in small groups, they applied similar knowledge design approaches to their own contexts, from elementary classroom dynamics to atmospheric affects. These discussions revealed the potential of space and materials in pedagogical settings, with one participant noting how the workshop's approach to atmospheric affects particularly resonated with their educational philosophy.

While some participants initially found the open-ended nature of the design process challenging, the project successfully demonstrated how material engagement can reshape our relationship with affective knowledge. The installations generated rich discussions about pedagogical approaches, spatial design, and the role of physical interaction in learning. Participants found therapeutic value in activities initially designed for conceptual exploration. Situated in an academic conference, this “knowledge design” installation and workshop compelled participants to pursue the pedagogical implications of their theoretical commitments.