Electroland - Interactive Walkways
This project was designed and developed by Electroland, a group of professionals focused on the usage of technology to enhance experiences in public environments, in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) in 2005.
The project “simply” creates visuals and sounds based on the interactions between people walking by. At first glance it could seem a simple toy but the potential of a similar concept I reckon could be very strong. We know that in our society people do not communicate with each other and there have been many projects aiming at creating opportunities for people to communicate. A story I recently heard from the funny guy from Greyworld comes to my mind, it was about people not saying a word in normal contexts like being stuck in a crowded tube wagon or while having sex but who can easily find words when wishing to complain about someone smoking cigarettes in a forbidden place. Unfortunately you cannot push people to interact because otherwise you could easily end up invading users’ privacy, but there are some moments in people’s day where maybe they are more keen on socializing, for instance I think that when we walk around the office and we come across colleagues, it is often for shyness that nobody takes the initiative to exchange just a “hi”. A project like this could definitely help break some walls we create with our shyness. As variation I could imagine implementing RFID data so the installation can eventually introduce people to each other with their names and maybe interpret the speed of the users as busy factor thus leaving fast people alone.
July 17th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
When evaluating this project it is important to keep in mind that it is not located in a gallery and that no one expects it to be there. It is a tough task to catch the attention of distracted people without becoming intrusive or annoying. It is however a prime pleasure with public art when you can surprise people and drag them out of thier expectations. The next challenge for a project like this is to make the experience rewarding for those who choose to linger and pay still more attention. The connection of strangers is just one of several interactive strategies that make this project more complex than just one gesture. Please note that the project is not constructed yet and has been held up by budget and construction issues originating out of the several hurricanes the area has suffered in recent years. Some of our other built projects have addressed similar concerns.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:34 am
Thanks a lot Cameron for the further info. I think the context of the project, public space, was quite clear (if it was for an exhibition it wouldn’t have been reviewed probably here
) despite I saw its potentialities also in semi-public spaces like offices, where sometimes we can easily feel as strangers.
The strenght I saw was the really simple, and so intuitive, connection. Also the “reward” you mention, could be interesting if based on the collaborative “attention”.
I’m sorry for all the issues you came across and I can probably understand how much effort a similar project, in terms of budget and development, could require so I wish you good luck for it.
I like of course also your other projects, so please keep us posted!