Arendt filter

by Itsuki Baba

First of all, we do not intend for AR to function as entertainment or advertising, but rather to become a new form of communication. This is because Japan, as an island nation, has long nurtured a high-context culture, and even today it is not considered aesthetically pleasing to speak one’s mind frankly. The COVID-19 lockdown has also prohibited communication, which has made me think more and more about what public space means. I wondered if there was anything that could be done to address these issues. The beginning of “Arendt” was the idea that posting opinions in an actual space using AR would create a new form of communication. In Japan, there is an electronic bulletin board called “2channel,” which allows people to speak freely, but it is also very anonymous due to the text culture, and thus, it is far removed from the world of well-being. However, “Arendt” is a place-restricted posting system, which allows users to expect comments to be centered on the people involved in that space. In addition, “posts” and “likes” become more visualized, and I see potential for the creation of new spaces. For example, by using AR to ask questions (threads) about the team you are rooting for in a baseball stadium, you can exchange opinions with the people in the stadium. Or, if you want to know local information about your destination on an airplane, you can use AR to ask questions (threads) and get information from other passengers. That information is not available in a Google search. Other locations are also important, such as sports bars, schools, meeting rooms, workshops, tourist attractions, etc. In addition, “Arendt” supports freedom by using AR to visualize the voiceless voices of the vulnerable in demonstrations and conflict zones. Finally. The name “Arendt” comes from Hannah Arendt, a thinker who said that publics are created when people come together.