'UFO' Controlled Remotely by SMS

New York artist Peter Coffin teamed with London interactive architect Dominic Harris to launch a "UFO" of their own design earlier this month. The airborne mystery pod produced shock and awe among citizens of a small town last week when it hovered, lights aglow, in Gdansk, Poland.

Dubbed Peter Coffin's UFO Project, the 23-foot aluminum sauce can be remotely controlled by text messaging.

Photo: Michal Szlaga

[WIred via via Pixelsumo]

Telephone tree sends wrong signals, say villagers

When Barry Robinson saved three traditional red phone boxes from the scrapheap, neighbours applauded his stance on preserving British heritage. When he decided to mount them 20ft in the air on a girder in the middle of a village field in Warwickshire, they were not so impressed, claiming that the “telephone tree” is an eyesore.

[The Times Online via del.ici.us/regine]

A Day Without Cell Phones

The installation "A day without a mobile-phone", by Eve Arpo and Riin Kranna-Rõõs, is made up of cell phones collected from people. The phones are hanging 24 hours in a public space where they create a light and sound installation.

The installation was first created in Tallinn in September 2007. Now the project is travelling to different cities around the world and was last seen in Edmonton, Canada June 28th.

Watch the video on YouTube.

Click here for a write-up from last year's event held in Estonia.

"Unprotected Text". Text Message as Theater

Soemthing I missed dating back to last March and just found by chance on About Theater while searching for something else.

"Text message was part of a theatrical performance. By sending text messages to 143text@gmail.com and Unprotected Text analzyed your text messages and then performed them on YouTube for everyone to enjoy.

Many text messages should have make it into their live performances all over NYC in April."

"Unprotected Text is an Episodic Textual Adventure and sociological study exploring the integration of social interfaces with our daily lives. A research period will culminate in a series of performative public interventions, reclaiming the isolation that is a by-product of advanced virtual communication practices. Unprotected Text is a response to how text messaging affects our relationships and the way we communicate with each other. This project will provide a new way to interact with texts by unplugging the isolation of cell phone use, connecting audiences to temporal data, and by contributing to the reclamation and celebration of real-time community."

Watch Unprotected Text on YouTube.

Extraordinary Rendition

The Helga de Alvear gallery in Madrid is currently running a (very timely) exhibition on the controversial topic of Extraordinary Rendition. The expression was coined by the Bush administration to define new legal measures designed to sidestep the existing Human Rights system and deprive some individuals from its protection in the name of the fight against terrorism.

Phone Home (2003), by Elmgreen & Dragset, is the only work on exhibit that has not been created specifically for the show. The installation looks at the loss of the right to privacy in communications. Five telephone cabins are lined up in the gallery.

A note informs visitors that they can call anyone they want in the world for free. Of course there's a trick: the conversation you are planning to have will be broadcast in the gallery, recorded and a table with audio players and headphones will enable future visitors to listen to what you said.

[via we-make-money-not-art.com]

How to Become a Mobile Phone Artist

Dialaphone has a piece on mobile phone art.

"There are all different sorts of mediums for tackling the mobile phone as an art subject; from mobile phone sculptures to paintings that send a message about the mobile phone in society.

But there is also a subsection of the mobile phone art movement which is specifically focused on actually creating art on the mobile phone.

Moreover, there are mobile communities through which you can then share this mobile art.

If you’re interested in being part of the trend (or you just think that the idea of creating and sharing mobile phone art is really cool) the following guide should help you along the path from fledgling cell phone artist to a mobile phone art creator in full bloom."

12 Stunning Examples of Mobile Phones as Art

A number of artists around the globe consider cell phones as an art form. They have created photography, sculptures and mixed media collages with the mobile phone as the center of the piece. Take a look at the following 12 images and see if they get you thinking about your phone in a new kind of light. [via Dialaphone]

When Apple and Art Come Together

Over at LAist, editor Zach Behrens has posted a piece on artist Nick Rodrigues' mixed-media installation known as the "Porta Party." A giant-sized iPod-like box where you go inside, bring your own iPod or iPhone, and groove to your favorite music.

[via TUAW]

Cell Phone Art Made With 5,000 phones

Rob Petit's cell phone art made of 5,000 mobile phones.

[via Gizmodo]

Nokia Morph Nanotechnology Concept Devices

Nokia announces Morph, a joint nanotechnology concept, developed by Nokia Research Center and the University of Cambridge. I4U reports.

Morph was launched today alongside the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition, on view from February 24 to May 12, 2008, at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Morph is a concept that demonstrates how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes. It demonstrates the ultimate functionality that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces.

The examples of Morph phone designs include a wrist phone and a translucent card that basically just consist of an interactive user interface. The future looks bright, once again.

Nokia press release

The city that never sleeps ... nor stops talking

What does the telecommunications traffic flowing in and out of New York City reveal about the city that never sleeps?

To find out, researchers from the senseable city laboratory at MIT have created a novel project that reveals the complex dynamics of talk that exist between New York and other cities around the globe. [via MIT News]

The project, called New York Talk Exchange (NYTE), is based around an analysis of telecommunications traffic flowing to and from New York City and will debut Feb. 24, 2008, as part of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) exhibition, "Design and the Elastic Mind."

"We are interested in visualizing and exploring the connections that New York entertains with the rest of the world, how they change over the course of a day, and how the city's neighborhoods differ from each other by maintaining special and distinct relationships with particular cities and countries," said Kristian Kloeckl, project leader at the senseable city laboratory.

NYTE uses data flows from the AT&T network that measure the volume of Internet protocol (IP) and voice traffic flowing in and out of New York at a given time. These data are then projected as three large visualizations that will hang at MoMA, and will also be accessible over the web at http://senseable.mit.edu/nyte.

Read more.

Social Mobiles

Social Mobiles was a collaboration between IDEO and artist designer Crispin Jones in 2002. They presented 5 mobile phones - that each in a different way modify their users behaviour to make it less disruptive - to provoke discussion about the social impact of cell phones. [via we-make-money-not-art.com]

The electric shock mobile delivers a variable level of electric shock depending on how loudly the person at the other end is speaking. As a result, the two parties are induced to speak more quietly.

The speaking mobile allows the user to converse silently; a person receiving a call in a quiet space can respond without speaking, using simple but expressive sounds that they produce and intone manually.

The musical mobile requires the user to play the tune of the phone number they wish to call. The public performance that dialing demands acts as a litmus test of when it is appropriate to make a call.

The knocking mobile. The user knocks on this phone to communicate the urgency of their call. The recipient hears this knock through their phone and can be discerning about which call they answer.

The catapult mobile can be used to launch sounds into other people's phone conversations. This provides a direct yet discreet way of invading their space.

Fish Tank Phone Booth

Spotted on OhGizmo via DVICE, a fish tank phone booth.

It was designed by Benedetto Bufalino as part of the December Lyon Light Festival. In the designers own words:

“With the advent of the mobile telephone, telephone booths lie unused. We rediscover this glass cage transformed into an aquarium, full of exotically coloured fish; an invitation to escape and travel.”

Also by the same designer, totally unrelated to cell phones but completely wonderful, a s series of sun hats, titled "Corniche des Chapeaux".

Ghost Town. An urban exploration game

Ghost Town, Giant Dice 's new innovative game of urban exploration played with the help of your mobile phone, is being unleashed on the streets of Perth for one week, starting December 2nd, 2007. The game uses a mashup of technology (bluetooth, SMS and VOIP) and the physical world.

With the aid of your mobile phone as your communication device with the ghosts, you'll uncover clues and solve puzzles to help unravel the mystery of who the ghosts are and why they were so cruelly imprisoned, all the while exploring some of Perth's most exciting places.

Porta-Pack: A mobile network on the go

One of the projects from we-make-money-not-art.com's blogging of the New Cultural Networks conference in Amsterdam: the Porta-Pack:

"Together with Ilze Black and Alexei Blinov, Chu Lea created porta-pack, a mobile network on the go.

It includes a modified wifi network system, a webcam, a signal-generation device and a GPS tracking unit.

Through this wireless transmission device, people are able to interact and communicate regardless of geographical boundaries and without obstructions. You might develop a different connection with the people around you. You used to discuss mostly with people living at the other side of the planet and with the portapack you get out in the street and meet your neighbours."

AmaznArts@CCC: College uses text speak for new course

North Carolina's Craven Community College is inviting students and members of the community to explore their artistic sides this academic year.

The college is planning a series of three presentations titled “AmaznArts@CCC” - text messaging shorthand for “Amazing Arts at Craven Community College” — which will show students and community members how artists express themselves through various media.

[via Sun Journal]

Survival Mosque

Not related to cell phones, "Survival Mosque by Azra Aksamija is a kit containing elements for the self protection of Muslims living in the USA today: an American-flag pattern that communicates patriotism, an umbrella that surveys one’s back, washing solution for ablution and for cleaning when a Muslim get spit on, ear plugs against insults, American constitution proofing rights of American Muslims, a loud-speaker with speech on tolerance held by President George W. Bush, educative books, communication devices, etc.

The mosque is self-sufficient; the prayer rug is supplying its own energy source via photo-voltaic solar cells.

The Survival Mosque can be transformed and camouflaged into bags, which communicate with each other via bluetooth. The bag-speakers reflect paranoia spreading messages regarding terrorism, but they can also function as muezzins; calling for prayer at prayer times. The kit challenges the way diverse prejudices and fears to Muslims could be reversed."

[via we-make-money-not-art.com]

Sony's artist phones

To celebrate its Canvas @ Sony art installation, Sony has commissioned several Japanese artists to decorate three cell phone models which will be available in limited editions.

[Engadget via TechDigest.tv and ShinyShiny]

"Casa de Pedra" walls made of cell phones

Spotted on the BBC, The "Casa de Pedra" - or the House of Stone in Sao Paulo, whose walls are covered with typewriters and mobile phones, amongst many other objects. This kind of project is sometimes call "spontaneous architecture".

Smoke Signals

Smoke Signals, is a project mixing primitive (smoke signals) and contemporary communication technologies (text messaging). Its' first performance was in June of 2006, and a second event was performed in Bristol, September 15.

Minimaforms creates two ephemeral speaking cloud structures as part of OFFLOAD festival in Bristol, UK.

The clouds are instruments of communication that enable conversation through their ability to hybridize the ancient visual communication practice of smoke signaling with contemporary cell phone (sms) messaging.

Participants engage in a collective act of writing space through the use of light as a virtual writing machine onto ephemeral plumes of smoke.

The first smoke signal floated across the heart of Bristol's cultural quarter and waterside located outside of the watershed media center. The second took place in a disused cathedral called at the peak of Bristol in Park Place.

"The event closed with avant garde architects - Minimaforms' breathtaking Smoke Signals - a huge projection of real-time audience generated text messages onto plumes of smoke, whilst a simultaneous smoke signals floats over Bristol Waterfront. In addition to this you will experience this with a rare performance of Steve Reich's Pendulum Music."

Actors carry cell phones in new "Misanthrope" production

In Ivo van Hove updated world premiere production of The Misanthrope, Molière's classic comedy about the absurdities of social conventions and pretensions, actors carry cell phones and Blackberries while dressed in modern business suits.

[amNY]

Urballoon

Urballoon, by Carlos J. Gómez de Llarena, is located in open urban spaces frequented by pedestrians at sunset and night (e.g. plazas, parks).

The ball is tethered and floats at a height of approximately 3 stories. The images and text submitted via Urballoon's website, are projected directly below it.

By accessing www.urballoon.com people can send text or images which will be queued and shown by the balloon in the order received onto the street.

On the website, an archive of all submissions can also be browsed

[via Networked Performance]

The Power Cart

Spotted on we-make-money-not-art.com, the Power Cart by Mouna Andraos in the streets of Williamsburg (Brooklyn) yesterday, offering alternative power to passersby in need of charging their mobile phone.

The Hug Shirt at NextFest And soon for retail

The Hug Shirt, which sends virtual hugs through mobile phone technology, and much blogged about last year (it was even nominated one of the Best Inventions of 2006 by Time Magazine) was presented at LA's Wired NextFest.

According to Francesca Rosella, chief creative officer of CuteCircuit, the shirts will go on sale before the end of the year for about $300 each.

More on how it works: Embedded in the shirt are sensors that feel the strength of the touch of the wearer. When that person gives himself or herself a hug, the motion will be compressed into a file and sent via a short-range wireless network (Bluetooth) to the wearer of a companion hug shirt.

[via News.com]

CellPhone Disco at Wired NextFest

The CellPhone Disco is back! On display at the Wired NextFest event in Los Angeles.

An experimental installation, made of flashing cells, that allows gallery visitors to experience the invisible body of the mobile phone. [Photo courtesy of News.com]

Previously: - Cell Phone Disco by Ursula Lavrencic and Auke Touwslager

A day without the mobile-phone

“A day without the mobile-phone” is an installation presented by by by Eve Arpo and Riin Kranna-Rõõs from Estonia at Plektrum, the Festival of Visual Sound in Estonia - September 12th-16th.

It's set in public space that is made up of one hundred cell-phones collected from the people in the city. The phones are hanged on a tree next to St. John’s church (Jaani kirik) where they create a light- and sound-installation.

To participate in creating the installation you may give your cell-phone to be hanged on the tree and you may call your friends who have done the same. It is also possible to call public mobile-phone numbers that have been opened specially for the installation.

“A day without the mobile-phone” does not take a black-and-white stance on blaming the mobile-phone addiction – instead it attempts to create a discussion. The installation may lead to the conclusion that we use our phones too much, or it may prove that mobile-phones add an important value to our lives.

The public mobile-phone numbers that you can call to participate in this project are:

(+372) 58 298 339
(+372) 58 298 409
(+372) 58 298 442
(+372) 58 298 456
(+372) 58 298 466
(+372) 58 298 467
(+372) 58 298 472
(+372) 58 013 296
(+372) 58 031 074
(+372) 55 979 041

Will post pictures as soon as they are available.

Wanted: a collaborative game-like performance

Part of the Conflux Festival, Wanted! is a collaborative game-like performance by HarveyLovesHarvey (Matthew Nash and Jason Dean) where the two artists (players/performers) seek neighborhood help to catch each other.

The artists will start in two different predetermined locations within a narrowly-defined area in Williamsburg. To locate each other, they will begin posting wanted-flyers that show the other artist's face, a short description and a phone number.

Both artists will be guided by calls from people who have seen the flyers, with the goal of eventually helping one of them catch the other.

There is no price for the winner, but the loser will be required to go take down all the flyers when the game/performance is over.

[via Guerilla Innovation]

Txt of the Lliving Dead - An Interactive Graphic Story

What would you say if Zombies were chasing you? With TXT of the Living Dead, Paul Notzold (TXTual Healing) takes the classic horror flick Night of the Living Dead and turns it into an interactive graphic story.

Using text messaging an audience re-writes the movie by creating their own dialogue.

This project along with the public projections will appear in Los Angeles September 13 - 16 as part of Wired Nextfest.

Other works by Paul Notzold

Mobile Phone Propaganda

If you are interested in propaganda, you may already be following Propaganda III, a world art tour of the best poster propaganda art there is.

The tour accepts entries from all over and doesn’t discriminate as to content. Some exhibits are anti-war, left bent or virally anti-Semitic. The artist can be fascists, communist, or somewhere in between. All entries are based on their merit not content.

These fine pieces of art are now available to you on your mobile phone, by downloading from Propaganda III Mobile Widget.

[via Mobile Crunch - Photo from flickr]

Disney Mobile Art

The Walt Disney Company is now offering their image bank on mobile phones, sharing sketches and images that were never publicly released. [TrendHunter]

In their own (somewhat long winded) words:

Many a Disney fan is carrying a phone graced with rarely seen photos of Walt Disney, or beautiful pastel renderings of the castles from each of the Disney Parks. For the true fan, the Vault Disney section of the Disney Mobile site is a gold mine. The vintage treasures you find can make a Disney Mobile phone more than just a safe and handy way to keep the family in touch - it’s also a Disney art gallery that can be held in the palm of the hand, with exhibits that change whenever the owner feels like trying a new theme.”