91探花

Roman De Santos
wood, acrylic, epoxy, electronics

Welcome to a physical manifestation of modern democracy, Constructing Consent. The name is derived from Chomsky鈥檚 idea of manufacturing consent. He argues that a Democratic system necessitates the need for propaganda to maintain order. This is an interactive art installation designed to interrogate the systems that govern us. Drawing upon the mechanics of meaningful play, this piece invites the community to gather, build, and ultimately question the structural integrity of fairness in our political landscape.

Game Rules
The objective of the game is deceptively simple: 2-3 players start the game by choosing a color. Players load the chutes. Each color has the same total area, but it is divided amongst the partitions differently (ex. purple has more 2×2 blocks than pink or blue). Players press the button on the artwork to 鈥渄ispense鈥� a block, but its failure to do so more represents a suggestion of which block to choose. Players take turns stacking one block per turn. Overhangs off the board are allowed, and if a player causes the tower to topple, they are eliminated, and the remaining players play or win by default. While all players are competing, they collaborate to build a stable pyramid, with the victor determined by the color of the final block placed at the very top. The pieces you hold are not created equal.

Recommended: Take every suggestion for a more critically challenging version of the game.

The Architecture of Representation
Inspired by the work of Professor Ismar Voli膰, the unevenly sized blocks represent the realities of gerrymandering. In our political system, votes in different districts carry different weights. Here, that abstract democratic flaw is rendered tangible. Space represents the value of that weight. As you build, you must physically grapple with the structural imbalance that comes from unequal representation, constructing a society out of inherently mismatched pieces. Yet, hope remains built into the design: a stable solution exists at any given moment. If navigated correctly, the pyramid will not fall, and thus, by our game rules, it is considered fair.

Before placing a piece, players interact with a central dispenser that suggests the next block to be played. This mechanism is a critique of political influence: How much of our choice is truly our own when we cast a vote? The dispenser mirrors the profound impressionability of the human mind in the moments just before entering the ballot booth鈥攖he very reason strict laws exist restricting political posters and campaigning within a certain radius of polling places. The dispenser nudges, guides, and attempts to influence your strategy.Players are faced with a choice: follow the suggestion or subvert it. The installation quietly encourages “cheating.” 

Meaningful Play and Community Design
Drawing from Professor Mary Flanagan鈥檚 philosophies on meaningful play, Constructing Consent is designed to build community awareness through shared interaction. The act of stacking, negotiating, and competing creates a microcosm of society around the table.