Perception is the process through which we see something, understand what it is, and assign meaning to it. When we encounter an object, we tend to identify and name it immediately. Yet our first impression can also limit the way we see it. Here, participants are encouraged to repeatedly ask, “What is this?” and resist settling on a single answer, opening themselves to alternative ways of seeing.
Naming helps us understand and communicate about things, but it also narrows their meaning and potential. For example, a space divided by strips of tape may appear to consist of separate areas, yet those boundaries can easily change. We constantly classify and distinguish things around us, often without realizing it, but such distinctions are not always as fixed as they seem.
By repeatedly reconsidering and renaming what we perceive, we become more aware of the assumptions and mental frameworks that shape our understanding. This exercise invites us to embrace ambiguity and reflect on the process through which meaning itself is formed.