ZITOFOS: Social Darkness: A Sensorial Experience in the Absence of Light

Social Darkness: A Sensorial Experience in the Absence of Light
By Iga Wyrzykowski
“If humans were truly at home under the light of the moon and stars, we would go in darkness happily, the midnight world as visible to us as it is to the vast number of nocturnal species on this planet. Instead, we are diurnal creatures, with eyes adapted to living in the sun's light.” - Verlyn Klinkenborg, National Geographic.

(Image A: Light pollution in downtown Boston)

One of the greatest and most over used discoveries made by humans is light. A compelling element that brings hope to society, but without it we feel powerless. The darkness, to many, is an overpowering element that is believed to mask the meaning of reality; it is due to this stereotypical assumption that we avoid darkness by simply turning on the lights. This thesis, Social Darkness, is a thorough exploration of the absence of light in which darkness is introduced as an element to embrace and appreciate through the action of eating. Food, just as light, is needed for human survival yet both are being taken for granted by society. It is through this thesis that the appreciation for both food and darkness will come together to create a sensorial experience in the absence of light.
The methodology for this thesis focuses on creating and collecting data from experiments and experiences rather than traditional design methods. The reason being, this thesis focuses on understanding and analyzing the impact darkness portrays on the individual through perception, human behavior, social interaction, and food. In order to collect such personal data, four experiments were created that generated unique experiences for each individual. These experiences became the significant data that allowed this thesis to develop.

The first experiment conducted analyzed an individual’s behavior in the absence of light. One individual was seated in a room void of light for five minutes to understand the initial feelings that arose in the darkness. This experiment was performed ten times for ten different individuals and all had similar experiences.
Reaction:
“ My eyes feel weird, it seems as if the room is getting darker. I have no recollection of time and five minutes seems longer than it really is.”
“ I feel like I am in a black hole. I don’t want to leave the chair, it is my only point of reference ”
“ I feel uncomfortable. I am completely aware of myself and not the space. I am talking to myself and I only have my own thoughts to keep me company.”

The second experiment was a further exploration of experiment one to analyze the evolution of eyesight in the absence of light. During this experiment one individual was placed in a room void of light for forty-five minutes. It was this experiment that determined the existence of the ‘shades of black’, which was the evolution process of the eyes adjusting to the darkness. During this process the darkness is revealed as a gradient where different objects and surfaces began to appear during fifteen-minute intervals.

(Image B: "Shades of Black"- The eyes adjusting to the darkness in stages)

Reaction:
15 minutes- “I can begin to see objects that are close to me such as my hands and the chair that I am sitting on. The room is still very dark.”
30 minutes- “Objects are easier to see. My eyes are finally able to notice all the cracks in the ceiling where light is penetrating from. I can also start to understand the shape of the room but the room does appear to be round with no sharp corners.”
45 minutes- “I can fully distinguish where the walls meet the floor and ceiling. The room now appears to be a rectangle rather than a circular room. I can now easily walk around the room without touching the walls for navigation purposes.”

The third experiment focused on the interaction between an individual and food. Since food is consumed for survival purposes and rarely appreciated, this experiment heightened the individual’s senses in order to experience the smell, taste, sound, and texture of food in the dark. It was during this experiment that the individual experienced the smell and taste of ingredients, the touch of the table and dinnerware, and the sound of one-self chewing the food.

Reaction:
“In the beginning of the experience, it was difficult to navigate around the plate and especially navigating the fork into my mouth. After a few attempts it became much easier and especially after my eyes adjusted to the dark. It was hard to visually distinguish the type of food I was eating so I strongly relied on the taste. The taste of the food was extremely different from how I taste food every day. I was able to savor all of the flavors and listen to how crunchy the food is.”
“It was interesting to learn that the dinnerware and silverware all appeared at different moments. The plate was the first object to appear, then the silverware, and lastly the food. I was never able to distinguish the food entirely throughout the experiment.”

The fourth experiment was a further exploration of experiment three to focus on the consumption of food in a social setting. During this experiment a dining table was created for ten people in a room void of light. Four different types of food were placed in the center of the table; pineapple chunks, cucumber slices, brownies and marshmallows covered in syrup. The purpose of these different types of food was to understand if individuals were able to see color and if color impacted which food they decided to eat first. During this experiment it was concluded that color of the food was not experienced through vision but rather through taste. Additionally, it was concluded that interaction is much stronger in the darkness because no external pressures were present.

The data collected from these experiments and experiences established the criteria in developing the thesis Social Darkness, which was presented as an exhibition to the public on April 13, 2013 at Wentworth Institute of Technology. The exhibition, Neoplayformz, was structured into three different acts with three different students presenting. The three acts; Act I- Networked Terrains, Act II- Reactive Arrangements, and Act III- Augmented Interludes all categorized students with similar thesis topics and methodologies to present their work to the public.

Act III Augmented Interludes, was an explorations of heightened social experiences manifested through very different methodologies and resulting in intriguing and temporal experiences for the users. Social Darkness explores the social and sensorial benefits of engaging with people, food, and architecture in complete darkness. It was during this time that a dark room void of light was created for twenty individuals to sit around a dinner table to converse, eat, and understand the sensorial experience of Social Darkness. The reactions to this experiment were incredible. Many of the participants appreciated the dark qualities of the space and the saw the beauty within the darkness. Questions were raised in regards to creating a space for discomfort rather than comfort. While most participants felt a sense of comfort in the dark space, they believed that a sense of comfort was developed through a shared sense of discomfort.