Price Check

Made by Cassie Alsept

My project is an experience simulator through textures. At the top of the display is a sign saying "Price Check!" Displayed directly under the sign is clothing and typed anon accounts of sexual assault in relation to that particular piece of clothing. For example, a large shirt with an account of how assault made someone uncomfortable in tight fitting clothing, a set of PJs that someone had forced off of them, etc.

Created: January 30th, 2019

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Intention

I want to challenge the idea that memories are always good/what makes you human. I want people to question the “price” in memory of certain items of clothing associated with sexual assault stories. I was driven to do this because I’ve had my own struggles with traumatic memories linked to clothing. I would like to make a price tag with NFC tags attached to scan and tell the stories behind the clothing. I want it to be varied clothing- no slut-shaming “should have covered up” only clothing pieces. Every piece of clothing can have a story.

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Prototype

I pulled together a small rack of clothing and stories of sexual assault in relation to them. (As this is a very fast project, I am relying on my story-telling skills and pieces of my own clothing- I had no time to go shop for the specific clothes described in the stories online.)

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Precedents

In class, we talked about “art projects” that would ask a question, like the water coolers filled with plastic. I decided to tackle another issue close to memory- sexual assault caused PTSD. I was also inspired by a technological dress that sensed when women were being groped. (Ad Agency)

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Process

At first, I was going to program RFID and attach them to the clothes, but it proved too difficult for my skill level. I then tried for NFC, which is what I would still love to do, but my phone couldn’t scan NFC, my friend’s phone couldn’t scan NFC, and IDEATE lending didn’t lend out tablets that could have done the trick. I was forced to let go of the scanning idea because of the time crunch, but I would love to incorporate them later. I had to stick with physical story tags attached to the clothing.

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Open Questions and Challenges

This would be best incorporated in a show of some sort- it’s an interactable exhibit at the core. I would also like to see it carried out with the actual NFC scanning just like at a “price check” station. This project had me call into question the subject of traumatic memories when faced with your own clothing that you may or may not wear afterwards/because of the event. How much can you distance yourself from a physical “haunting” object? 

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Reflection

I learned that my technology access is limited not only because of my lack of skills but because of the older technology I have available to me. I learned that I need people with technical skills to be on my team because, even if I get ideas, I can’t implement them on my own quite yet. I didn’t reach the “cool” level I had wanted to, but I at least got a project pulled together!

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Attribution and References

“Ad Agency Creates 'Smart Dress' to Prove Women Get Groped at Clubs.” ABC News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 30 Nov. 2018, www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/ad-agency-creates-smart-dress-to-prove-women-get-groped/10571714.

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About

My project is an experience simulator through textures. At the top of the display is a sign saying "Price Check!" Displayed directly under the sign is clothing and typed anon accounts of sexual assault in relation to that particular piece of clothing. For example, a large shirt with an account of how assault made someone uncomfortable in tight fitting clothing, a set of PJs that someone had forced off of them, etc.