Social Binaries (2o2o)
#interactive installation, #web app, #speculative design, #street intervention
An installation version was exhibited at FutureLab Shanghai. The installation is designed as a “Pop-Science Corner” billboard on the front, accompanied by a proud introductory text:
The city’s latest Digital City Technological Innovation results have recently been released and put into use in several public spaces on a pilot basis. The technological invention includes several sets of intelligent and convenient systems such as the Beauty Code, the Kindness Code, the Dedication Code, the Integrity Code, and the Filial Piety Code. Citizens can see the corresponding QR code declaration forms at the entrance of the pilot parks, nursing homes, schools, enterprises, and other places. We welcome all citizens to participate in the trial, fill out the declaration forms, and share valuable feedback! Contact number: 787967796869.
Note: During this trial run, the WeChat scan may be unstable. If you encounter failure, please try to use the Camera app or other app to scan.
The rear side of the installation shows a digital “flowchart” of the five codes’ algorithmic mechanism from front to back end, as well as live feed from a surveillance camera.
Social Binaries (2020) speculatively expands the use of the health code, an algorithmic pandemic-control system, into a set of five intelligent QR code systems - Beauty Code (漂亮码), Dedication Code (敬业码), Filial Piety Code (孝顺码), Integrity Code (诚信码) and Kindness Code (友善码). Scanning a registration QR code poster, users enter a self-declaration questionnare to receive a green, yellow, or red code on their beauty, kindness, dedication, filial piety, and integrity.
We posted registration posters in streets of Shanghai at their intended sites of use, including bars, cafes, education institutions, nursing homes, community centers, and hospitals. A green code indicates a meet of the standard, granting the user access to corresponding facilities, while yellow or red indicate a deficiency or a severe deficiency, leading to restrictions the user’s mobility. The back end of the web App was left undeveloped, collecting no actual data from users.
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![dedication code]()
![filial piety code]()
![integrity code]()
![beauty code]()
![kindness code]()
You can scan a QR code above or visit https://projectnocode.github.io/ to interact with the project. (*For non-Chinese speakers, please access the App using the “auto-translate to English” function in Google Chrome*)
We posted registration posters in streets of Shanghai at their intended sites of use, including bars, cafes, education institutions, nursing homes, community centers, and hospitals. A green code indicates a meet of the standard, granting the user access to corresponding facilities, while yellow or red indicate a deficiency or a severe deficiency, leading to restrictions the user’s mobility. The back end of the web App was left undeveloped, collecting no actual data from users.
You can scan a QR code above or visit https://projectnocode.github.io/ to interact with the project. (*For non-Chinese speakers, please access the App using the “auto-translate to English” function in Google Chrome*)
︎︎︎ nocode