Studio KNOL | Collective [Ir]Rationality

Studio KNOL researches mass behaviour in artspace MU. Each year, the Dutch Design Week draws hundreds of thousands of people who crowd the town expecting to be surprised. But what moves them?

Taking this question as a starting point, Studio KNOL creates an experimental exhibition together with art space MU that researches the (ir)rational behaviour of the masses. With Collective [Ir]Rationality, Studio KNOL realises its most ambitious spatial study so far. The entire space of MU is transformed into a landscape where visitors are confronted with their own flock mentality. All is monitored by observers and webcams.

We look at how people in a crowd determine which way to go – a question with wide-ranging consequences for many areas of society. This affords understanding the rhythms of many moments in life – from traffic flows to public opinion, or from leadership to flight behaviour.

Download the press release here
Download the results of the experiment here
for hi-res images please write to lara@studioknol.com

An interactive simulator visualizes the human behavior inside the exhibition, a detail of which can be seen below. At any moment, the ‘flock’ of visitors is visible, providing us with growing data. Observants in uniforms provide constant ‘human input’, watching the visitors from 7 different positions in the space.

Collective [Ir]Rationality | May 14, 2017