A Computational Interface Design To Reenact the Transitory Moments of the Izmir International Fair

Abstract

Grouper is a computational interface design that supports researchers working with (visual) digital collections. The significance of Grouper is related to the positioning of researchers and the possibility it offers them to create, manage and visualise a collection within their research process. In this study, Grouper focuses on the ephemera collections of the Izmir International Fair (IIF) and asks: 'How can digital tools help to trace, piece together and make sense of the design heritage of IIF, which includes a wide range of design practices and objects spread across nine decades'. Working with IIF's ephemera provides Grouper with a new lens that emphasizes the concepts of 'assemblage' and 'collaboration', allowing for the creation of previously unavailable content and narratives. The notions of transience and permanence are manifested in the assemblage of ephemera, the digitisation of collections, Grouper's flexible research process, and the persistence of transient objects and memories in new narratives. © 2023 Res Mobilis. All rights reserved.