HERD
HERD bridges artistic conceptual development with science-based research and experimental co-creation to explore the correlations between and impacts of herding behaviors in humans and animals. To discover the many facets of herding behavior, on micro- and macro-levels, HERD combines science, engineering, economics, psychology, sociology, networking, and urban planning with movement, sound, performance, costume, and digital media. HERD activates through workshops, gallery exhibitions, speaking engagements, urban games, public installations, and performances. The animal in each of us is revitalized, revealing the powers of the collective herd to further social innovation – in our physical and virtual worlds.
A herd is defined as a group of animals that migrate together or are kept together as livestock. The herd exemplifies collective behavior; it moves as a unit. Individual members work together in unison, transferring information amongst the group to synchronize movements.
Human herds are global. Strength, freedom, and community are potential benefits of the herd, but entrapment, forced movement, and even death can result with seemingly minor shifts. Stampedes, protests, traffic, gentrification, immigration, and militias are examples. Herding goes beyond the physical as evidenced in economic shifts, cultural trends, data sourcing, and virtual societies.
Today, people are lost in the bevy of distractions. Innate animal instincts are buried as humans mindlessly act as part of their respective herds. Collective thought no longer serves the collective well-being. As humans prophesize about apocalyptic ends (e.g., global warming, nuclear war), instinctive survival mechanisms and collective awareness stagnate. HERD seeks to attune the animal in each of us, excavating the inherent benefits of conscious collective thought, in both physical and virtual worlds.
A herd is defined as a group of animals that migrate together or are kept together as livestock. The herd exemplifies collective behavior; it moves as a unit. Individual members work together in unison, transferring information amongst the group to synchronize movements. Migrations, formations, and stampedes are examples.