Screendwellings: Home, Place, and the Screen

Abstract

Every screen provides an extension of space that carries a feeling of place within it. Familiarity, frames, borders, and a sense of closeness make all screens sites of dwelling regardless of the original aim of their design. Screen spaces are built to be dwelt in as they are, to be experienced as panoramas, or to be curated and furnished according to personal choice, they can be navigated actively or passively, and they function like public places, but often include the private sphere. The system of screens, operators, surroundings, and physical space is oftentimes problematic in its definition. There are elements that belong similarly to the screen and to the space outside of it; conversely, there are instances only possible on the screen that make its dwelling characteristics unique. How does physical space inhabit the screen and how do screens interact with physical dwelling? How do we understand and produce screen space, and what impact does it have on the rest of our activities? In the following work I aim to define screendwelling by suggesting categories to interpret its relationship with context and dweller, whose role will be analyzed in terms of physical agency, involvement with the space of others, and aesthetics.