Office Hours Side Projects Edition N°279
Hala Auf and the Language of Trans-Cultural Vessels in which we find ourselves Exploring Object-Oriented Ontology and Creative Transformations
Contributed By: Julian Bleecker
Post Reference Date: Oct 5, 2025, 18:20:43 PDT
Published On: Oct 5, 2025, 18:20:43 PDT
Updated On: Oct 5, 2025, 18:20:43 PDT
Summary
In this session, Hala Auf, a master’s candidate in Design for Interaction and Extended Realities at IED Barcelona, presented her thesis project exploring the agency of everyday objects through the lens of object-oriented ontology and speculative design. Her central question asks: What if vessels and objects that we overlook every day reveal a language of identity, power, and community—and in the future, not only reflect culture but actively produce it?
Hala proposes that objects are not neutral nouns but active verbs—agents that shape human behavior and cultural rituals. Drawing from examples such as the shared mate cup (cuia) of southern Brazil and the ubiquitous monoblock plastic chair, she frames these as “verbs” that bind or flatten human gatherings—each encoding different social grammars. The mate cup connects community and continuity; the plastic chair, by contrast, represents homogenization and convenience.
Her speculative framework envisions a grammar of gatherings, where people (subjects) and objects (verbs) together form sentences that script cultural meaning. Through immersive virtual reality, Hala aims to create environments where participants can inhabit the verbs of objects—experiencing their power and symbolism rather than merely observing them. The work positions speculation as an embodied experience, inviting reflection on how designed artifacts mediate social relations and cultural futures.
Hala proposes that objects are not neutral nouns but active verbs—agents that shape human behavior and cultural rituals. Drawing from examples such as the shared mate cup (cuia) of southern Brazil and the ubiquitous monoblock plastic chair, she frames these as “verbs” that bind or flatten human gatherings—each encoding different social grammars. The mate cup connects community and continuity; the plastic chair, by contrast, represents homogenization and convenience.
Her speculative framework envisions a grammar of gatherings, where people (subjects) and objects (verbs) together form sentences that script cultural meaning. Through immersive virtual reality, Hala aims to create environments where participants can inhabit the verbs of objects—experiencing their power and symbolism rather than merely observing them. The work positions speculation as an embodied experience, inviting reflection on how designed artifacts mediate social relations and cultural futures.
Office Hours Side Projects Edition N°279 - Hala Auf and the Language of Trans-Cultural Vessels in which we find ourselves Exploring Object-Oriented Ontology and Creative Transformations
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Chat
00:04:28 Julian Bleecker: Sorry for folks who got stuck in the Waiting Room!00:06:07 Francisco Estivallet: I love this diagram for imperial units https://douglasrumbaugh.com/post/imperial-defense/english-length-units.png00:06:23 Christine Prefontaine: Reacted to "I love this diagram ..." with 😂00:06:34 Mateusz Pozar: Reacted to "I love this diagram ..." with 👍00:06:45 Christine Prefontaine: Replying to "I love this diagram ..."
OMG love this00:07:01 Scott Paterson: Reacted to "I love this diagram ..." with 👍00:09:32 Francisco Estivallet: Chimarrão!00:09:52 Julian Bleecker: https://bogost.com/writing/blog/what_is_objectoriented_ontolog/00:10:25 Christine Prefontaine: Mate <300:11:52 Julian Bleecker: https://share.google/QjdbIz3A16sY0OZAF00:13:21 Mateusz Pozar: “Verbs in drag” is a great wording00:25:32 Julian Bleecker: https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/slow-down-9781662602368/00:27:57 Dré Labre: Hi, I’m transcribing this call with my Tactiq AI Extension: https://tactiq.io/r/transcribing00:28:24 Brandel Zachernuk: The rear view mirror is lovely, right out of McLuhan00:28:26 @pawelhalicki: https://www.lars-mueller-publishers.com/super-normal00:28:38 Mateusz Pozar: Replying to "The rear view mirror..."
Hah, I started writing the same thing.00:29:07 Mateusz Pozar: Replying to "The rear view mirror..."
But his rear view mirror was that we’re framing the future by our understanding the past, right?00:31:59 Rafael Fajardo (he/him/his): https://dn720006.ca.archive.org/0/items/baudrillard.-1970.-the-consumer-society/Baudrillard.1981.Simulacra-and-Simulation.pdf00:34:49 Mateusz Pozar: https://www.versobooks.com/products/1496-non-places01:01:47 Brandel Zachernuk: https://www.immersence.com/osmose/01:03:56 Brandel Zachernuk: I have to drop to talk about more virtual reality! This was a great presentation, and please come back if/when you get to the VR stuff.01:04:19 Rafael Fajardo (he/him/his): The Bogost series continues01:05:51 Rick Griffith: Increment of Value01:08:32 Rafael Fajardo (he/him/his): OOO + Posthumanism feel like an ethic that de-centers humans01:09:37 Andrew Korf: @Hala Auf have you looked at animism in Native American cultures?01:11:31 Hala Auf: No, but I will definitely look into it! Thank you01:19:48 Andrew Korf: It would be great to hear what @Hala Auf thinks about all the feedback and exploration01:19:56 Christine Prefontaine: Reacted to "It would be great to..." with 💯01:19:59 Mateusz Pozar: Getting too cold to sit outside, so I’m leaving. Have a lovely weekend all!01:20:14 Rafael Fajardo (he/him/his): I have to run. It was fun to join in (and lurk) with y’all again. <301:21:13 Christine Prefontaine: @Francisco Estivallet @Hala Auf @Scott Paterson I will be in Barcelona in early November… would love to get together!01:21:22 Julian Bleecker: Reacted to "@Francisco Estivalle..." with 🎉01:21:30 Scott Paterson: Reacted to "@Francisco Estivalle..." with 🎉01:21:50 Christine Prefontaine: Replying to "@Francisco Estivalle..."
christine.prefontaine@gmail.com > drop me a line 🙂01:23:03 Hala Auf: Reacted to "christine.prefontain..." with ❤️01:23:06 Hala Auf: Reacted to "@Francisco Estivalle..." with ❤️01:23:07 Francisco Estivallet: Replying to "@Francisco Estivalle..."
Awesome! Let me know if you need any recommendations01:23:12 Hala Auf: Reacted to "Awesome! Let me know..." with ❤️01:26:43 Julian Bleecker: Thanks @Hala Auf for finding the courage to share. Great stuff and I hope you keep us in the loop as the project evolves!01:26:52 Christine Prefontaine: Reacted to "Thanks @Hala Auf for..." with 💯01:26:56 Christine Prefontaine: Reacted to "Awesome! Let me know..." with 🙏01:27:12 Francisco Estivallet: https://www.thomasthwaites.com/the-toaster-project/01:27:44 Francisco Estivallet: (The artists has other interesting projects)01:29:24 Andrew Korf: Lichens!01:29:26 Hala Auf: Replying to "Thanks @Hala Auf for..."
Thank you very much for all your inputs and to you Julian for introducing me to this platform! Definitely gained a lot more insight than I anticipated, and will hopefully keep you posted 😄01:31:13 Christine Prefontaine: Reacted to "Lichens!" with ❤️01:32:03 Scott Paterson: https://www.diaart.org/visit/visit-our-locations-sites/walter-de-maria-the-new-york-earth-room-new-york-united-states01:32:25 Christine Prefontaine: https://emilyrosemichaud.com/portfolio-item/living-armour01:33:40 Christine Prefontaine: Replying to "https://emilyrosemic..."
Emily is an infinite well of knowledge on sprouts01:33:51 Christine Prefontaine: Replying to "https://emilyrosemic..."
Especially sprouts in galleries 🙂01:34:13 Hala Auf: I'll be leaving for now, and hopefully will be in touch again! This has been super fun, thank you very much sincerely! ❤️01:35:27 Scott Paterson: Sarah Sze nest01:35:32 Christine Prefontaine: Botanical stuff plus the occasional piece of garbage 🙂01:36:25 Christine Prefontaine: I’m suddenly thinking of nests build with foam pool noodles01:37:09 @pawelhalicki: Why read at home or in the garden if you can read “under” the garden - https://plainmagazine.com/stunning-flower-gardens-that-hang-from-ceilings/
Or the budget version - https://www.google.com/search?q=reverse+planter+celling&sca_esv=58ed7cc7eaa43e58&udm=2&biw=1900&bih=1035&sxsrf=AE3TifPx2ZmiTUtY4c-hYAd7uUTRl6wjUg%3A1759512860608&ei=HAngaJfoJLHk5NoPsIjtmAY&ved=0ahUKEwiX5qKYyIiQAxUxMlkFHTBEG2MQ4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=reverse+planter+celling&gs_lp=Egtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZyIXcmV2ZXJzZSBwbGFudGVyIGNlbGxpbmdI1lNQszZYs1JwA3gAkAEAmAGwAqAB_R6qAQgwLjIyLjAuMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCE6ACzhXCAgcQIxgnGMkCwgIFEAAYgATCAgYQABgHGB7CAgoQABiABBhDGIoFwgIEEAAYHsICBhAAGAgYHpgDAIgGAZIHBDMuMTagB-hGsgcEMC4xNrgHxxXCBwYwLjEzLjbIBzY&sclient=gws-wiz-img01:39:56 Andrew Korf: Might there be a way to add elements of James Turrells work to the space where you somehow open the room to the stars virtually?
https://rodencrater.com/about/01:40:13 Andrew Korf: https://rodencrater.com/spaces/craters-eye/01:41:15 Andrew Korf: Or some sort of virtual way to bring the sun and time of day into the room?01:42:07 Andrew Korf: Reacted to "https://www.diaart.o..." with 👏01:42:47 Andrew Korf: Replying to "https://www.diaart.o..."
Love all of Dia’s stuff - hope everyone has visited Dia Beacon: https://www.diaart.org/visit/visit-our-locations-sites/dia-beacon-beacon-united-states01:42:58 Andrew Korf: Replying to "https://www.diaart.o..."
Might be some stuff to look at there for inspiration01:46:27 Rick Griffith: Replying to "https://www.diaart.o..."
rick@morematter.com01:48:06 Dré Labre: One GIANT kitty litterature box01:48:16 Christine Prefontaine: Reacted to "One GIANT kitter lit..." with 😂01:48:38 Andrew Korf: Reacted to "One GIANT kitter lit..." with 😂01:49:01 Scott Paterson: Feline Pine was my goto01:50:22 @pawelhalicki: I need to run. Thanks everyone and see you next week01:53:50 Andrew Korf: It would be cool share things like ricks project we are all checking out around the world in Dischord01:54:09 Andrew Korf: Lets do a patreon backer only hour ;)01:56:58 Christine Prefontaine: I just had to go check my membership too01:58:17 Andrew Korf: Reacted to "I just had to go che..." with 👍01:58:20 Christine Prefontaine: Makes me think of the tontines in west africa01:58:30 Rick Griffith: Reacted to "Makes me think of th..." with 👍🏽01:59:07 Christine Prefontaine: Or awesome foundation02:04:03 Andrew Korf: We have the same problem with our ADU - that said we have a great ADU in bernal heights for cool people02:04:30 Dré Labre: i'm gonna plan a road trip and come stay at all your places02:04:33 Andrew Korf: All you have to do is take out the garbage and wash the bedding (so many dont)02:08:00 Dré Labre: FairBnB02:08:13 Andrew Korf: Reacted to "FairBnB" with 👏02:08:24 Christine Prefontaine: Reacted to "FairBnB" with ❤️02:09:09 Andrew Korf: Segue - cool post from my friend Eric at Stamen:
https://stamen.com/brain-cartography-mapping-a-place-that-everyone-knows-but-almost-no-one-has-ever-been/02:10:25 Christine Prefontaine: I ended up creating this guidebook for guests… you can feel the pain in it https://bit.ly/waverly-caretaker02:10:57 Andrew Korf: Reacted to "I ended up creating ..." with ❤️02:13:53 Andrew Korf: Replying to "I ended up creating ..."
Love this. Speaking of Brazil and places to stay - our new place in Brazil:
Come visit!
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1514572409940156339?source_impression_id=p3_1759515513_P3jpERiEsDY8RiwV02:15:02 Christine Prefontaine: Replying to "I ended up creating ..."
I love this… my friend has a place in Paraty but I have not been that far south! I may be there this winter 🙂02:16:00 Andrew Korf: Reacted to "I love this… my frie..." with ❤️02:16:02 Francisco Estivallet: Replying to "I ended up creating ..."
Amazing 🤩02:16:34 Andrew Korf: Replying to "I ended up creating ..."
Neat! we could put this whole call up in Ilhabela02:16:42 Christine Prefontaine: Reacted to "Neat! we could put t..." with ❤️02:16:45 Francisco Estivallet: Reacted to "Neat! we could put t..." with ❤️Loading...