Table Manners | 2019
Thukral & Tagra’s ongoing exploration of the idea of ‘play’ from an experiential, social, and psychological perspective. The series of work considers the introspective aspects of play. They illustrate the social anxieties involved in technological communication through these table-tennis mods.
The idea of narrating the social reality through the vocabulary of a sport (ping pong) challenges the notion of culture as an entertainment or refreshing experience. It critiques on the fact, how technology has gotten immersed into the fabric of our everyday lives in a very innate manner.
Table Manners as three-part exhibit aims to acknowledge the social interaction of the contemporary set of context-sensitive manners between two players as “strangers” in 3 levels. Firstly, the idea is to begin a conversation. The second part focuses on developing a premise for a conversation. In level 3, the intention is to create a story of an “anxious memory”? Both players acknowledge the end of the game by tapping the paddle with each other. At the end, the players grant themselves a certificate of understanding to illustrates the social interaction of some sort has happened.
Title: Deliver, Seen, and Typing
Medium: Vinyl on wooden table, net and metal legs
Size: 3 Tables (9 x 5 ft approx) – variable
Year: 2019