Even if everything in a gallery is there to be looked at, some projects tend to gather more eyes. A new project, called 'Attention Please!' is the vehicle for artist Sara Smith's research into how audiences engage with works of art, and how technology might shift these personal practices. Together with tech partner Kisky Netmedia, Smith has established an 'attention seeking video installation,' in which gallery-goers can swipe an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card to express interest in a video. When one video becomes most popular, the others exhibit jealous behavior, in hopes of stealing attention from their co-competitors. The project is funded by Liverpool's FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), who has a special initiative to support the development of exhibition technologies. 'Attention Please!' will be on view there, on May 3rd and 4th, but in the mean time the group is putting out a call for active participants. If you're in the area, you too! can swipe in support of your attention span, putting your consumption on display. - Marisa Olson | Rhizome
http://www.attentionplease.co.uk
~Forget about RFID swiping in museums over art... (aren't RFID 'business cards' already indispensable at trade shows?)...I'ld like to see something like this applied to the indoor and outdoor environments architects, urban and recreational planners and their public and corporate sponsors have designed for us to use.
There are places in cities as well as near wilderness that deserve a nod, an acknowledgement. There are street corners, paths, highway- ramps, overlooks, picnic areas, fishing holes, bridges, gardens, bus stops, camping areas, stairways, individual trees, viaducts, store fronts, public squares, water fountains, beer gardens, embankments, lawns, elevators, parking lots, food courts, roof-tops, etc. etc. worthy of special mention, a shared appreciation.
There are also many many areas designed and executed for us, or our automobiles, by people who've profited, (who continue to profit) and who should know better, totally devoid of any aesthetic, of any joy to look at.
(Instead of RFID "rate your environment" cards and the necessary readers salted everywhere maybe it would be simpler through text messaging to register GPS coordinates into local Scenic/Anti-scenic Databases.
When you find one of these places you type in the direction you're looking, whether it's scenic or antiscenic and you press a button that sends your 'vote'.
A web site keeps a running tally...with photographers' volunteer attempts at documentation, comments from the public, etc...and every year or so journalists or other local experts report on the Best and Worst places to see?)