After completing the first round of audience intervention with the installation, I began to reflect on the independent role of the moving image in my research. I wondered: if viewers only watched the film without experiencing the installation physically, would they still develop a similar sense of empathy or emotional engagement?
With this question in mind, I invited several new participants—who had not taken part in the previous installation session—to engage with the project solely through the narrative film.
Their feedback turned out to be surprisingly insightful. Even without the physical presence of the installation, the film was able to evoke emotional resonance and stimulate reflection. One participant mentioned that the repeated act of “combing” in the performance felt both gentle and suffocating, like a ritual shaped by social expectations. Another said that the dancer’s gestures and rhythm reminded her of her own tension between familial and societal roles. In different ways, the moving image allowed them to confront the unspoken emotions and contradictions embedded in women’s lived experiences.
Compared to those who interacted with the installation, these viewers tended to interpret the work through the lens of “story” and “performance” rather than through material or bodily engagement. They focused on composition, pacing, and emotional transitions—observing how movement and narrative conveyed meaning. This contrast highlighted two distinct modes of understanding: while the installation relies on spatial and tactile immediacy, the film communicates through emotional continuity and visual narrative.
This comparison led me to reconsider the distinct yet complementary functions of installation and film within the research.
The installation invites a bodily, situated experience—viewers interpret tension through movement, touch, and spatial awareness.
The film, on the other hand, constructs an emotional and symbolic layer, guiding viewers through rhythm and narrative progression. Together, they form a dual structure of storytelling that is both embodied and emotional, physical and symbolic.
From a methodological perspective, this cross-media combination enriches the research by expanding its expressive and communicative dimensions. The moving image not only extends the narrative of the installation but also stands as an independent research medium—capable of disseminating ideas and sparking reflection beyond spatial constraints.
Based on both sets of feedback, I have come to realise that the most effective order of intervention should be “watching the film first, followed by the interactive experience.”
The film provides an emotional and cultural foundation, allowing participants to enter the installation with a clearer sense of context and empathy. This sequential process—from emotional preparation to embodied engagement—creates a deeper and more reflective audience experience, demonstrating how narrative and participation can together shape an understanding of social issues through art.
Leave a Reply