Hi Susan, and all:
Having also experienced this piece in Berlin at the time, and having
some very fond memories of it, I can see why we are now placing
historic value on its imperfections, eg the time-lag through the slow
internet connection, and the warbling of the sounds through the
computer reading in a language that made German, the language of most
passers-by, almost impossible to understand (though that it happened
in the window of the British Council offices could at least excuse
that dominance - even if it was US-English). It was the state of
technology and it was a new experience.
But, of course, then, we weren't enjoying it when it didn't work, when
people in the street didn't realise that contact was made, but when a
conversation actually happened.
Today, that conversation would be much easier to achieve. People are
more aware of the technological possibilities, and it would run much
smoother - if still with a time lag, that it just takes to typing a
message. Would it otherwise be different? Would it still not expect
people to accept the offer of a conversation with somebody they cannot
see?
I am not so sure ...
Best,
Axel
Am 23.11.2012 um 14:19 schrieb susan collins:
> This work was in a sense all about the state of the technology
> (both technically and culturally) at that moment in time. The timelags
> (which wouldn't exist now in the same way) becoming a material
> quality of
> the work, and the fact that many of the people experiencing the work
> on
> the street were not online and this was in many cases their first
> internet
> connected (or first chatroom) experience, gave it another quality
> altogether (surprise, disbelief and in some cases wonder), one that
> would
> be impossible now to replicate (online anyway). It may be worth
> mentioning
> that no one at the street end ever saw a computer - nor did they
> have any
> (visible) interface), just a (disconnected) projected mouth to stop
> them
> in the street and keep them standing there long enough for the
> conversation to flow. I showed the work five times in five different
> cities. The first one was Brighton in 1997, the last one Berlin in
> 2001.
> By 2001 the image stream was colour, the passersby more familiar,
> and for
> me the piece did not make sense to show again as it had not only
> materially changed, but the cultural context that it operated in had
> already in those four years changed beyond recognition.
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