April Soetarman
April Soetarman is an architect, content strategist, and designer who creates public art, installations, interactive narratives, and "weird side projects".[1] She is originally from the Bay Area, California and is based in Brooklyn, New York for her work.[1] She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2012 with a double major in Architecture and Music.[2]
Work
[edit]Soetarman currently works in the arts and entertainment industry with Studio 07 the Experience Design and Environmental Graphics Design studio.[3] Here, she focuses on installation, curation, and storytelling as her prime topics to make art and technology for the built environment to exhibit designs that inform, persuade, delight, and inspire.[4][3] She operates under the semi-anonymous moniker WeirdSideProjects.com which she describes as an experiment in code, text, street art, food, and feelings.[5] She displays her work focused on creating moments of delight through tactical urban trouble-making, immersive installations, or online media.[1] Her goal is to invoke memory and emotion through her art and has worked with firms across the United States on an extensive range of projects varying from exhibit design to large-scale public art and sound art installations to achieve this.[2][6] She was a finalist in the 2021 Interaction Awards for her "The End of the Day" project.[7]
Notable work
[edit]Soetarman is known for creating street signs with messages on them.[8] For example, these street signs include messages like "'NOTICE: I never stopped loving you. I hope you're well'" as well as "CAUTION: Beware of unreliable narrators" plus many others.[8] In 2016, Soetarman started this as a personal, Seattle-based project.[9][10] She was motivated to create these signs to further explore different artistic avenues and to cope with personal struggles.[8]
Another notable project of Soetarman's is "The End of the Day."[11] "The End of the Day" is a calming, listening activity that takes place over the phone.[11] The recording reflects with a listener on time and sunsets within 10 minutes.[12] To participate, she has attached plaques with a phone number and instructions to different New York City benches.[11]
Finally, Soetarman created the "Museum of Almost Realities."[13] This museum exhibit considers events that could have happened in one's life had the person made different decisions.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "April Soetarman". womentalkdesign.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ a b "April Soetarman | School for Poetic Computation". sfpc.io. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ a b "April Soetarman". Scalehouse. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ "Experience Design | NBBJ". www.nbbj.com. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ "About". WEIRD SIDE PROJECTS. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ "How Side Projects Fuel Creative Living with April Soetarman". PHLEARN. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
- ^ "2021 Interaction Awards". Interaction Awards. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c "ATTENTION: Public Warning Signs by April Soetarman Engage the Emotions of Unsuspecting Pedestrians". Colossal. 2018-11-27. Archived from the original on 2019-05-22. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ "Meet the Seattle artist behind these mysterious signs". king5.com. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
- ^ "Artist Installs Heartfelt 'Public Warning' Signs—and Wants Your Help Spreading Her Message". www.mentalfloss.com. 2018-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
- ^ a b c Libby, Brian (May 15, 2021). "This Public Audio Installation Helps Listeners Take the Long View on Life". The Slowdown. Archived from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ Mylechreest, Edward (December 23, 2020). "Enjoy A Quiet Moment of Contemplation with 'The End of the Day' (Review)". No Proscenium. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Guzmán, Mónica (2018-04-18). "A Seattle artist shows you the 'life you might have had' at her Museum of Almost Realities". The Evergrey. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved November 5, 2021.