Cultural projections: creating a sense of place and shared multicultural identity through urban video screens

The technological diversity and proliferation of urban screens offer us new ways to read and interact with public media screens. This investigation explores the evolving social role of video screens in urban society and asks what is a suitable approach towards designing cultural content in public space. Both the research and resulting studio practice components of this project are inspired by the potential to reclaim public video for social outcomes. Research indicates that new practice in screen technology and its integration in urban environments have a role to play in creating a sense of place, community and identity. Can the design of urban screen content play a role in influencing social attitudes towards a culturally tolerant and inclusive society? Recent incidences of racial abuse at public transport locations highlight the need to address racial discord in Australian society. The aim of this research is to create a series of interviews entitled "Cultural Dialogues" at urban transit shelters, which generate thinking around the themes of Australian identity and multiculturalism. Through investigating current theoretical discourse and case studies, this research explores how new forms of media screens have altered public expectations by enabling further opportunities to engage with information. The investigation revealed the importance of contextualizing video in public space and reaffirmed through practice that in a new age of media connectivity, audiences desired experiences which involved participation rather than mere spectatorship.