Researching WALLS as herding mechanisms

WALLS, a project of HERD, uses modular set design, large-scale interactive installations, and contemporary performance to forge connections across diverse communities, rethink space and human flow within space, and catalyze play as the building blocks for social innovation.

The project is based on research of animal herding behaviors and corralling systems, urban planning and design, and fundamental psychology of interpersonal interactions and co-creation. WALLS has been and continues to be a multi-phase, scenario-driven experimental approach to revealing findings that further the work.

We took a field trip to University of California - Davis, where we were guided by the Chair of the renowned Department of Animal Science. Inspired by Temple Grandin's work on corralling systems and animal welfare, we wanted to see and feel the realities of manmade animal herding systems.