Standard Deviation

2019 / Participatory action with electrical tape / Variable dimensions

In statistics, standard deviation is used to quantify how far a given set of data strays from the average. In this participatory action, the spectators are invited to estimate the length of one metre (the standard of the International System), using a roll of electrical tape and scissors. These estimations are then stuck to the wall, and they form a jumbled-up Gaussian bell curve. . At the end of the action, all the pieces of tape are weighed, allowing us to calculate the accuracy of the group’s guesses compared to the real length of the metre.