Imagine being able to plaster text messages from your cell phone onto buildings for all to see. Tonight I had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Notzold-the brilliant and immediately likeable genius/artist behind this wildly fascinating technology referred to as "always on". This innovative technology was used by Paul for his MFA thesis at Parsons Design & Technology program.
How it works: Using 'always on' technology, cell phones with SMS allow an audience to interact with large speech bubbles projected onto a flat surface, like the facade of a building. The bubbles are positioned near windows and doors to encourage an audience to create the conversations happening inside. The public audience receives a flyer with a cell number and simple instructions. A participant sends a text message to the provided phone number and it is then displayed inside the speech bubble. Multiple bubbles may be used and the audience can direct their input to a specific bubble.
The piece explores the use of mobile technology to trigger dialogue, action and create content for a staged public performance. By using the facade of a building the intention is to engage an audience to think about the physical spaces we move through, live in and share. I'm trying to address public vs. private space and what kind of dialogue might transpire if we shared out private thoughts. The piece was designed to encourage play, idea sharing, thought, discourse, and entertainment.
