‘Open Window in City’ is a live-networked video installation between two twinned cities. This project was supported by East Street Arts and Leeds City Council and was later funded by the Arts Council of England & The Culture Company – The Artimelt Academy.
It is made in homage to ‘Hole-in-Space’ (1980), by Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz, and it is an indicator of how much technology has progressed since the 1980’s. Most importantly, in a society that claims to be globally networked, digital exchange is still primarily text based. ‘Open Window in City’ will allow two geographically separated publics to interact with eachother through live feed audio/visual display. This work identifies the importance of visual human contact and how the shift in technology can enable new community to form. The legth of time of the installation also allows the piece to become a part of the constant visual fabric of the two cities and thus generates a more solid communication channel between the two spaces.
In November 2010 ‘Open WIndow in City’ was tested with the support of ESA Leeds and the International Marketing team at Leeds City Council. It ran for three days installed across the twinned cities of Leeds, UK and Dortmund, Germany. The piece involved projections on to shop windows in both cities using webcams. The city of Dortmund was projected in Leeds and Leeds was projected in Dortmund and the piece allowed people from both cities to communicate with each other via a Skype connection.
Supported by the Arts Council of England & The Culture Company – The Artimelt Academy.
Over Yonder, networked real-time video installation between Westfalische Rundschau Lesershop, Dortmund, Germany and ESA Leeds, UK, 8-12 November, 2010.
Exhibition images: http://megansmith.ca/mls30193241/?p=775
Short Listed for: NorthernNet Creative Commissions, August.