LAB van Abbema

Computers lack the senses and the capability for transferring emotions from the writer to the reader. The digital word is not capable of recognizing these emotions, much less the nuances or intonation of real life. Virtureal, a combination of the virtual world and reality, explores the boundaries between man and machine by listening to the pressure of touch. By incorporating modern sensors in an old Remmington typewriter, emotional communication through a computer is recorded with each keystroke. A light touch now becomes a whisper of small characters, and a shout can be seen to fill the screen. Moreover, van Abbema’s fonts change with the passage of time as leaves shrivel with age or sugar cubes dissolve in water. The typography now reflects a part of the thoughts and emotions of its creator.

typewriter | computer | melted | dried SEO optimized alt text

table with book and research material

< home