We have selected some key objects from our friends in the UK who work in the space inbetween, both challenging our perceptions of data and what an artwork is and can be.
The Statistical Clock was part of a project called Do You Want To Replace the Existing Normal? from 2007. We have become desensitised to everyday technologically mediated fatalities. The clock scans from a live BBC newsfeed, it searches for keywords and counts out the number of deaths as they are reported. One,…Two,…Three,..Four,…It is not a broadcast, but it has the authority and legitimacy of a public announcement. There are 8 channels; shootings, stabbings, bombings, fire, drowning, car crash, plane crash, train crash. http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/
Superflux / Anab Jain & Jon Ardern 5th DIMENSIONAL CAMERA
According to the many-worlds theory, first posited by Hugh Everett in 1957, although we observe time as linear, diverging timelines occur in parallel worlds, with each possible outcome having a different probability. In the world of quantum computing, this concept is reflected in the superposition principle, the ability of particles to be in two or more states at once, which is used to perform massive parallel processing. The 5th Dimensional Camera explores how we might see all these different worlds at the same time, in a metaphorical many-lensed object. All the possible ramifications of any decision or action or day would theoretically be visible, thus visualizing all the worlds that branch out from our linear timeline; the longer the period for which the camera’s timer is set, the more time there is for new worlds to branch out from our own and, in turn, the more novel some of those worlds are likely to be. The designers hope that the camera will make tangible the wider implications of quantum computing and its effects on our world. The 5th Dimensional Camera was featured at ‘Talk to Me’ exhitbion, MoMA 2011 http://superflux.in/
The focus of Cross-fire was to examine the intangible characteristic of the spoken word and investigate the unseen affect of sound upon its inhabited environment.
The project centralizes around the context of a domestic argument. In this case the event samples an audio excerpt from the 1999 Sam Mendes Film ‘American Beauty’. The slow building dialogue between the three central characters family dinner climaxes with a sound clash of emotions. The cross-fire of the argument traverses the dinning table but where previously the inanimate everyday objects such as plates, cutlery, teapot etc were unable to express their character, the intensity of the conversation deforms their once static existence into objects of unseen familiarity.
Tommy Dykes PHOTObOT
photoBot is an alternative to ‘point and shoot’ photography, building on people’s desire and passion to document aspects of their lives by taking and sharing photos online. Using ultrasonic sound the product detects the location of people within the vicinity and then automatically takes a photo of them. This automation allows people to enjoy an occasion, such as a party, in the knowledge that the occasion is being documented photographically without the need for them to do it themselves.
While testing early versions of photoBot, some users felt the device could be used for surveillance or spying. The deliberately anthropomorphic design was therefore to create a sense of trust and fun that quickly dispels any concerns and instead emphasises the playful nature of the product. Importance was also given to ensuring the products functionality was apparent, highlighted particularly in the visibility of the lens and the display screen, which instantly shows photographs as they are taken.
‘Desk Objects’ is an exploration into the relationship between product ambiguity and user interaction. A clock, a light and a container all share the same form, utilising the unique properties of switchable smart glass. On picking up the objects, the panels of switchable glass turn from opaque to transparent, revealing their individual functions. http://www.max-phillips.co.uk/