Process: Rolling Studio & Parlour Room

Two on-line environments act as portals: a Rolling Studio and a Parlour Room. Before I even visualized the Tongue Rug project, I envisioned a specific structure – a Rolling Studio – informed by a dream I had of a portable space: a small room on wheels with a window looking onto a changing vista. The room was big enough for a person to stand in with shelves and nooks to store artist supplies.

I was further inspired by Emily Carr's Elephant caravan: a portable studio in which she traveled and painted from. For my project, photos taken in 360 degree panoramas interpret the landscape rather than paintings. I wanted to update this travelling studio with today's communication technologies – mobile devices (bicycle, cellphone or GPS) and social media tools. The Rolling Studio is a sort of database of placenames, coordinates, maps, cycling logs, drawings & 360-degree panoramas.

The Parlour Room invites participation from visitors to the site. Much like a traditional parlour, it is a place that encourages discussion and gatherings. Since the tongue rug was traditionally displayed in the public space of the parlour, the different tongues can act as triggers to reveal the overlayed stories gathered over time in this domestic space.