There is a divide between our external reality and the way we perceive it. It is like a bridge in that it both links and separates the things it spans. This divide is what limits science to inference and forces relativism into our discussions of knowledge. It is an elusive phenomenon and a pervasive one. The Other Room is an attempt to make the divide real, and in the process, to remind us of it.

The inflatable form positioned within its architectural surroundings is defined by a thin membrane of plastic. This membrane is ever trying to move outwards, pushing against the reality that constrains it. In this way it forms a register of the environment. However, the membrane is not perceived by viewers as a mold once they enter into the form itself. Instead they are confronted with an entirely new account of what lies underneath. The membrane clings to surfaces, stretched by the tension between the Platonic 'ideal form' of the room as constructed from plastic, and the actuality of the room itself. They must peer through it to make out the more familiar reality that resides beneath like a ghost.

The plastic membrane is a barrier, but also a lens. It limits and alters a viewer's perception of the architectural environment. At the same time, by embodying the divide between what is seen and what is understood, it brings into focus the very processes of perception that the viewer is using. The philosopher of science Helen Longino proposes that our knowledge and cognitive processes are fundamentally social. Knowledge of the world is grounded by the interactions of our community in an organized sensory encounter.

The Other Room sets up a situation that has never before been assimilated by the community at large. As such, viewers gaze through the plastic and it forces them to rebuild their understanding. The form defined by the plastic barrier in turn creates a new space. One that is both informed by the reality of the room and removed from it. By entering into The Other Room viewers are transported to this other reality where the schism between their perception and their surrounding is made manifest. They are forced to see their sight.

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