As humans we live and interact across a wildly diverse set of physical spaces. Each of us formulate our own personal meaning of place using a myriad of observable cues such as public-private, large-small, daytime-night time, loud-quiet, and crowded-empty. Unsurprisingly, it is the people with which we share such spaces that dominate our perception of place. Sometimes these people are friends, family and colleagues. More often, and particularly in public urban spaces we inhabit, the individuals who affect us are ones that we repeatedly observe and yet do not directly interact with – our Familiar Strangers.
The claim is that the relationship we have with these Familiar Strangers is indeed a real relationship in which both parties agree to mutually ignore each other, without any implications of hostility. Isn't this true?
The claim is that the relationship we have with these Familiar Strangers is indeed a real relationship in which both parties agree to mutually ignore each other, without any implications of hostility. Isn't this true?
While today’s mobile communication tools readily connect us to friends and known acquaintances, we lack mobile devices to explore and play with our subtle, yet important, connections to strangers and the unknown – especially the Familiar Strangers whom we regularly see. Will these systems provide a new lens to visualize and navigate our urban spaces? How will these systems provide an interface to strangers and unknown urban settings? What will such devices look like? How will we interact with them? What will they reveal about us and these strangers? Will they alter our perception of place? of the strange and unknown?
2 comments:
Hmm..Familiar Stranger!!the hitch is, probably somewhere in our psyche, we like to keep guessing, pondering about the other person. It happens so many times that you see the same person-a total stranger- frequently in the corridor or staircase and after so many glances, the only tool with which you communicate is smile. ever wondered why we smile at this familiar strange..only to validate the 1st part of the word"Familiar" and yet, we might not be that inclined to talk(for sometime)..to validate the 2nd part of the word..Interestingly..just as this phrase sprang up..these two actions co-exist..as thoughts in our mind.but somewhere, you just break this cycle out and might get into a conversation..Then..the word "Familiar -Stranger" also breaks..and that phrase ceases to exist...
@ aakarsh
As i read your comment i am reminded of this scene from one of my all time favourite hollywood flicks-The Thomas crown affair. Remember the scene where brosnan makes his contribution to the museum with a 'new' painting? when he gets off the stage he observes renee ruso from the corner of his eyes while talking to an acquaintance. and a little later he says, 'have we met?' with this attitude of 'I have never even seen u around' i mean that scene was directed and shot so well and it fits this post and your comment.
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