Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Wikipedia's Articles Are Printed and Bound to a Massively Tree-Killing Book]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/30/robert-matthews-prints-wikipedia-featured-articles/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/30/robert-matthews-prints-wikipedia-featured-articles/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/30/robert-matthews-prints-wikipedia-featured-articles/#commentsIn a strange exercise regarding our ongoing fascination with how much crap is actually one the Internet (answer: a lot), U.K.-based photog/artist Robert Matthews printed out all 2,559 featured articles on Wikipedia and bound them in a massive, footstool-sized tome.

We have a couple of questions: Why didn't he use a double-sided printer? Is that paper stock unnecessarily thick? Why are his shoes from 1978? How inconsequential and tiny do you feel next to the massive expanse of knowledge and expertise, and all of those intangibles that flutter around the World Wide Web at every moment?

SwitchedWikipedia's Articles Are Printed and Bound to a Massively Tree-Killing Book originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artfuturephotographyrobert matthewsRobertMatthewstopWebwikipediawikipedia printedWikipediaPrintedWed, 30 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blast a Hole Through a Balloon Dog in 'Jeff Koons Must Die']]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/jeff-koons-must-die-blast-balloon-dogs/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/jeff-koons-must-die-blast-balloon-dogs/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/jeff-koons-must-die-blast-balloon-dogs/#comments
Are you just sick to death of the assembly line production of big-name modern art? Does the fact that Jeff Koons employs an army of assistants to construct "his" work make you want to obliterate a Balloon Dog with a rocket launcher? Artist Hunter Jonakin understands how you feel. His 'Jeff Koons Must Die!!!' arcade cabinet lets the player wander a 3-D gallery space and destroy any of the Koons pieces displayed there, including works from his famous Balloon series and his infamous 'Made in Heaven' series. Writes Jonakin:

If nothing is destroyed the player is allowed to look around for a couple of minutes and then the game ends. However, if one or more pieces are destroyed, an animated model of Jeff Koons walks out and chastises the viewer for annihilating his art. He then sends guards to kill the player. If the player survives this round then he or she is afforded the ability to enter a room where waves of curators, lawyers, assistants, and guards spawn until the player is dead.

SwitchedBlast a Hole Through a Balloon Dog in 'Jeff Koons Must Die' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artgamingHunterJonakinJeffKoonsJeffKoonsMustDieTue, 29 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Artist Paints Murals on N.Y.C. Rooftops for Google Earth Viewing]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/25/molly-dilworth-paints-rooftops-for-google-earth/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/25/molly-dilworth-paints-rooftops-for-google-earth/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/25/molly-dilworth-paints-rooftops-for-google-earth/#comments molly dilworth painting Molly Dilworth wanted to expose her art to a wider audience, so she decided to paint giant murals on three rooftops in New York, in the hopes that people might stumble upon them while browsing Google Earth. The paintings eventually showed up in Google's satellite images, but didn't look quite as vibrant as Dilworth had anticipated -- nor did they reach a very wide audience. The experiment wasn't a complete failure, though. The murals apparently look great up close.

SwitchedArtist Paints Murals on N.Y.C. Rooftops for Google Earth Viewing originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artgoogleGoogleEarthimagesMollyDilworthmuralNewYorkrooftopsatellitetopWebFri, 25 Mar 2011 09:38:00 EST<![CDATA[This Interactive Laser Harp Doesn't Sound Like a Harp]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/24/moritz-waldemeyer-laser-harp/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/24/moritz-waldemeyer-laser-harp/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/24/moritz-waldemeyer-laser-harp/#comments
Moritz Waldemeyer, the designer who created a 'Home Disco' out of lasers and a smoke machine, has unveiled his latest installation: a laser harp. Consisting of a black obelisk surrounded by a cage of laser beams, Waldemeyer's harp uses light sensors and an Open Frameworks app to create sounds whenever a person interacts with the laser field. Waldemeyer's "weird and wonderful" soundscape is comprised of sirens and alarms, which are looped and woven together to form a cocoon of ominous space.

SwitchedThis Interactive Laser Harp Doesn't Sound Like a Harp originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artdesignharpinstallationlaserMoritzWaldemeyermusicOpenFrameworkstopThu, 24 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Following Twitter Incident, NYC Ballet Revises Social Media Policy]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/17/following-twitter-incident-nyc-ballet-looks-into-new-social-med/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/17/following-twitter-incident-nyc-ballet-looks-into-new-social-med/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/17/following-twitter-incident-nyc-ballet-looks-into-new-social-med/#commentsThe New York City Ballet is looking to tighten its control over its employees' use of social media, following an embarrassing incident on Twitter. After his boss was arrested for drinking and driving, corps de ballet member Devin Alberda posted a tweet about drinking on the subway, followed by another disparaging tweet about another dancer. The organization, like many others, is now negotiating a new social media policy "for all artistic and administrative employees with respect to their professional lives."

SwitchedFollowing Twitter Incident, NYC Ballet Revises Social Media Policy originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artballerinaballetdancenew york citynew york city balletNewYorkCityNewYorkCityBalletpolicysocial mediaSocialMediaSocialNetworkingtoptwitterWebThu, 17 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Riley Harmon's Bloody Game of 'Counter-Strike']]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/16/riley-harmons-bloody-game-of-counter-strike/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/16/riley-harmons-bloody-game-of-counter-strike/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/16/riley-harmons-bloody-game-of-counter-strike/#comments 'what it is without the hand that wields it' We know that Riley Harmon's installation 'What It Is Without the Hand That Wields It' is from 2008, but we've just been too lazy to post about it. (That's our story and we're sticking to it.) Anyway, art is timeless, no?

'WIIWTHTWI' has apparently been a new media exhibition favorite; with its combination of video games and real fake blood, who could refuse its charms? Participants play a game of 'Counter-Strike,' the online first-person-shooter. As they add to their body count, a series of solenoid valves in a nearby apparatus squeeze out a small amount of the blood, which gruesomely trickles down the wall -- a real-world manifestation of digital death. But why? "Mediated experiences of killing change our perception of authentic violence and death," writes Harmon.

Continue reading Riley Harmon's Bloody Game of 'Counter-Strike'

SwitchedRiley Harmon's Bloody Game of 'Counter-Strike' originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artcounter-strikegaminginstallationriley harmonRileyHarmontopvideogame+art+harmonvideogameartharmonwhat is is without the hand that wields itWhatIsIsWithoutTheHandThatWieldsItWed, 16 Mar 2011 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Read This: Why Take Animated GIFs Offline?]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/12/read-this-why-take-animated-gifs-offline/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/12/read-this-why-take-animated-gifs-offline/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/12/read-this-why-take-animated-gifs-offline/#comments
Where I'm coming from on this: nothing wrong with selling but the certificate of authenticity from the artist and a GIF on a DVD or USB stick is enough. That's how I've done it in the past. But then I want the thing out there circulating, that's why it's a GIF and not a super high res video file requiring proprietary software to play. [...] If there's a reason for using a "democratic" medium only to elite-ify it for a select person I'd like to hear it.
Artist and prolific new media art commentator Tom Moody tries to figure out the logistics of selling an animated GIF to a collector, as Rhizome's Lauren Cornell did with Sara Ludy's work at the recent Armory art fair. (It was all spurred by Hrag Vartanian's interview with Cornell, which you can see here.)

SwitchedRead This: Why Take Animated GIFs Offline? originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animated gifsAnimatedGifsarmory showArmoryShowartart collectionArtCollectionreadthisrhizometom moodyTomMoodytopSat, 12 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lux Repeat Music Video Remixes Google Earth]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/12/lux-repeat-music-video-remixes-google-earth/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/12/lux-repeat-music-video-remixes-google-earth/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/12/lux-repeat-music-video-remixes-google-earth/#comments
The landscapes of Google Earth have never looked quite as hypnotic (or ominous) as they do in this music video from the band Lux Repeat. Created by designer Bartholomäus Traubeck, the clip takes viewers on an aerial voyage across Google Earth's pixelated landscape, in all its geographic desolation and graphic vibrance. Equal parts nature documentary and flight-simulator video game, it's definitely worth getting lost in for a few minutes.

SwitchedLux Repeat Music Video Remixes Google Earth originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artbartholomaus taubeckBartholomausTaubeckdesigngooglegoogle earthGoogleEarthLux RepeatLuxRepeatmusicmusic videoMusicVideotopSat, 12 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aram Bartholl's 'Open Internet']]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/01/aram-bartholl-open-internet/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/01/aram-bartholl-open-internet/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/01/aram-bartholl-open-internet/#comments
Aram Bartholl, the Eyebeam resident who cemented USB thumb drives into the cracks of walls around New York City, just released a video of his latest "public intervention," called 'Open Internet.' He appears to set up his phone as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot as he strolls through Manhattan with flashing LED signs -- the kind hanging in the window of any standard deli -- ostensibly giving out free Internet access as he becomes a walking advertisement/gadget. Part performance, part sculpture, part hack? His notes on the work (sic throughout):

I ve been looking at these cheaply produced, super low resolution LED signs (the IRL animated gif ;-) for a while already. End of last year I filmed this meaningfull pair in a kiosk window in Berlin and fell in love with them. First I used the picture for the SPEED SHOW 5 title in Paris but I had to take it a bit further. :) You find LED signs in any shopping window especially in EU these days. There are also many OPEN signs in US but hardly any INTERNET signs. I had to change that! :)

SwitchedAram Bartholl's 'Open Internet' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aram barthollAramBarthollarteyebeamled signLedSignopen internetOpenInternettopTue, 01 Mar 2011 15:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Designers Visualize Wi-Fi Networks With Light Painting]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/wi-fi-visualized-timo-armall/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/wi-fi-visualized-timo-armall/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/wi-fi-visualized-timo-armall/#comments
Norwegian designers Timo Armall, Jørn Knutsen, and Einar Sneve Martinussen recently came up with a cool way to visually represent the invisible Wi-Fi networks that blanket our urban spaces. After constructing a Wi-Fi measuring rod capable of displaying signal strength as bars of light, the trio set about photographing it throughout various neighborhoods in Oslo. Measuring four meters in length, the rod also contains 80 LED bulbs, which pulsate with varying levels of intensity, depending on the strength of a surrounding Wi-Fi network. Check out the stunning results in the video below, or read more about the project here.

SwitchedDesigners Visualize Wi-Fi Networks With Light Painting originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artdesignEinarSneveMartinussenJornKnutsenLightPaintingnorwayoslophotographyTimoArmalltopurbanWebwifiMon, 28 Feb 2011 13:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Pucker Up With 'Kiss Controller,' the System Controlled by Tongue Hockey]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/22/kiss-controller-redefines-motion-gaming/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/22/kiss-controller-redefines-motion-gaming/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/22/kiss-controller-redefines-motion-gaming/#comments
From old-school joysticks to motion-control interfaces, the ways gamers control onscreen movements have drastically evolved. We aren't sure what's next, but, if a project by artist Hye Yeon Nam is any indication, it could involve locking lips. That's right: Nam has designed input hardware that allows gamers to control onscreen movements by making out. With the Kiss Controller, one gamer places a magnet on his or her tongue while the other gamer wears a headset. The person with the magnet controls the direction and speed of an onscreen bowling ball for 20 seconds while, we guess, the other gamer just enjoys it. The goal of the game is to get the ball rolling fast and keep it in the center of the alley by wiggling your tongue around in the other person's mouth. Sounds romantic, right?

SwitchedPucker Up With 'Kiss Controller,' the System Controlled by Tongue Hockey originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artdesigngamingHyeYeonNaminterfacekissingKissingControllerMakingOuttopVideoGamesTue, 22 Feb 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Art School Nudity Debacle: Does Facebook Just Make Poor Policy?]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/21/new-york-academy-of-art-facebook-nudity-debacle/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/21/new-york-academy-of-art-facebook-nudity-debacle/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/21/new-york-academy-of-art-facebook-nudity-debacle/#commentsAfter the New York Academy of Art uploaded some images to the school's Facebook page back at the end of January, it received that standard-issue alert: "You uploaded a photo that violates our Terms of Use, and this photo has been removed." The photo in question was an ink-on-paper nude of a woman's torso by Steven Assael, included in an exhibition at Eden Rock Gallery in St. Barth's. When the school tried to upload more images a few days later, its account was suspended from adding new photos for a week. "They must have decided that we are a repeat offender," the school's president David Kratz told the New York Times.

Long story short, the school wrote up an outraged blog post about Facebook's seemingly draconian policy, crying censorship and demanding to know: "How is Facebook controlling art?" (Some of its points are tenuous: "How does the de-facebooking of other works of fine art connect to the recent decision by the Smithsonian to remove David Wojnarowicz's artwork from the National Portrait Gallery's online and on-site exhibition?" Actually a pretty big difference there.) Facebook apologized, explaining that, while naked photos are verboten, "the company has an unwritten policy that allows drawings or sculptures of nudes."

Continue reading Art School Nudity Debacle: Does Facebook Just Make Poor Policy?

SwitchedArt School Nudity Debacle: Does Facebook Just Make Poor Policy? originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artcensorshipfacebookNewYorkAcademyOfArtsocialnetworkingtopwebMon, 21 Feb 2011 12:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Read This: Do Hipstamatic War Photos Make Combat More Like Summer Camp?]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/read-this-hipstamatic-war-photos/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/read-this-hipstamatic-war-photos/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/read-this-hipstamatic-war-photos/#comments
These photos play on another trend in war coverage over the past few years, which is the transformation of the soldier and killing agents (the gun notwithstanding) into innocent man-child. 'The boys sleeping' has been a popular motif. Often, these photos have a homo-erotic resonance to them, although it's much more comfortable thinking: 'puppies.'
BagNews considers whether or not the use of the Hipstamatic app in Damon Winter's controversial 'A Grunt's Life' iPhone photo essay lessens the impact and meaning of the photography. BagNews' point is murky, but using a method that is most popular with summer picnics or nightclubs to shoot the battlefield instead is certainly discussion-worthy.

SwitchedRead This: Do Hipstamatic War Photos Make Combat More Like Summer Camp? originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AGruntsLifeAppsArtCamerasDamonWinterHipstamaticIphoneNewYorkTimesPhotoJournalismTopWarThu, 17 Feb 2011 16:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Worldwide Graffiti Captured With 'Street Art View']]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/worldwide-graffiti-captured-with-street-art-view/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/worldwide-graffiti-captured-with-street-art-view/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/worldwide-graffiti-captured-with-street-art-view/#commentsblu on street art view Last Spring, the street artist Gaia began archiving his graffiti exploits with Google Maps. Now, courtesy of Red Bull and the Loducca advertising agency, Gaia has an illustrious -- and expanding -- crew of Google graffiti compatriots. Composed entirely of graffiti art, Red Bull's new Street Art View project aspires to become "the biggest art collection in the world" by incorporating various aspects of Google Street View and the Google Art Project.

The site, which allows users to pinpoint street pieces on a Google Map, catalogs individual artworks and their creators. Viewers can sort by chronology and views, or even by individual artists. Given the fleeting impermanence of graffiti art, the service provides an overdue method of collecting and appreciating an extremely undervalued art form. (Ahh, if only the Web had been around for the apex of Berlin's Mauerkunst movement.) Although some graffiti fans may relish the thrill of the hunt (for new pieces), a permanent exhibition that chronicles the daring exploits of sneaky, elusive masters like Banksy should prove to be invaluable.

SwitchedWorldwide Graffiti Captured With 'Street Art View' originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artbanksyblugoogleGoogle Art Projectgoogle street viewGoogleArtProjectGoogleStreetViewgraffitios gemeosOsGemeosred bullRedBullstreetartviewstreetviewtopThu, 17 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Smithsonian Museum Will Host Video Game Art Exhibit in 2012]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/smithsonian-museum-will-host-video-game-art-exhibit-in-2012/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/smithsonian-museum-will-host-video-game-art-exhibit-in-2012/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/smithsonian-museum-will-host-video-game-art-exhibit-in-2012/#comments'the art of games' Despite what Roger Ebert has said about video games not being art, The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. will host an entire exhibition next year dedicated to the medium. 'The Art of Video Games,' which runs from March 16th, 2012 to September 9th, will feature interviews with several artists and developers, game footage spanning 40 years, a thorough history of gaming consoles, and even some playable consoles for visitors.

Sun Microsystems' chief gaming officer Chris Mellissinos will work as the exhibit's guest curator, but the Smithsonian also wants input from gamers. By visiting The Art of Video Games website, you can vote for 80 games out of a group of 240 candidates, which are divided by era, game type and platform. However, when we tried to cast our vote Tuesday morning, the voting component of the site had crashed because so many enthusiastic gamers rushed to the polls. Once the Smithsonian gets the voting back up and running, you'll have until April 7th to cast your vote. Remember, if you don't vote, you really shouldn't exercise your right to complain about your favorite game being left out of the exhibit. Although, we're sure that plenty of angry gamers will -- no matter what.

SwitchedSmithsonian Museum Will Host Video Game Art Exhibit in 2012 originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artart of gamingArtMuseumArtMuseumsArtOfGaminggamingmuseumSmithsoniansmithsonian american art museumSmithsonianAmericanArtMuseumtopvotingTue, 15 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Unveils Valentine's Day Homepage Doodle, 'Map Your Valentine' Feature]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/14/google-map-your-valentine-doodle/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/14/google-map-your-valentine-doodle/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/14/google-map-your-valentine-doodle/#commentsgoogle valentine's day doodle and maps It's Valentine's Day, and Google is celebrating the occasion with a special homepage doodle, and a new, 'Map Your Valentine' location-sharing service for lovers.

The doodle is designed as a pretty obvious homage to Robert Indiana's famous 'LOVE' image, with a heart replacing the first "O" in a re-arranged Google logo, and the second one slanted to the right. Unlike recent homepage doodles, Google's Valentine's celebration isn't terribly interactive, but 'Map Your Valentine' offers plenty of sappy entertainment to make up for it.

Continue reading Google Unveils Valentine's Day Homepage Doodle, 'Map Your Valentine' Feature

SwitchedGoogle Unveils Valentine's Day Homepage Doodle, 'Map Your Valentine' Feature originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artdoodlegoogleGoogleHomepageGoogleMapsLocationloveRobertIndianaromancetopValentinesDayWebMon, 14 Feb 2011 10:40:00 EST<![CDATA['Seed Drawings' Crowd-Source Project Evolves as Living Artwork]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/13/clement-valla-seed-drawings-crowdsources-artwork/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/13/clement-valla-seed-drawings-crowdsources-artwork/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/13/clement-valla-seed-drawings-crowdsources-artwork/#commentsclement valla 'seed drawing' Writers and directors sometimes implore the public to submit brief, incremental elements in order to build a larger story or movie. Brooklyn artist Clement Valla recently embarked on a similar crowd-sourcing project, called 'Seed Drawings,' but her goal was to construct living, evolving artworks. Valla initially created artistic building blocks, and then asked the public -- via Amazon Mechanical Turk -- to contribute bordering pieces that needed to be "as similar as possible to the original drawings."

Over a three month period, thousands of contributors augmented those original drawings in order to create "large scale structures." Those resulting structures may not impress highbrow art fans, but this artistic progression immediately ranks ahead of previous schemes. Similar crowd-sourcing projects frequently fail because of the obviously fickle and sometimes inferior nature of fan submissions. These particular pieces, though, prove rather extraordinary to watch -- regardless of the actual artistic or aesthetic merits -- as they evolve into massive and chaotic amalgamations of publicly generated randomness.

Switched'Seed Drawings' Crowd-Source Project Evolves as Living Artwork originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonamazon mechanical turkAmazonMechanicalTurkartclement vallaClementVallacrowdsourcingdesignmechanical turkMechanicalTurkseed drawingsSeedDrawingstopSun, 13 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Vatican Brings the Sistine Chapel to Your Desktop]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/12/vatican-brings-the-sistine-chapel-to-your-desktop/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/12/vatican-brings-the-sistine-chapel-to-your-desktop/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/12/vatican-brings-the-sistine-chapel-to-your-desktop/#comments Google's Art Project may allow you to visit London's National Gallery and Florence's Uffizi Gallery, but if you want to gaze at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel from your living room, you'll have to head to the Vatican's website. There, you'll be able to spend your whole afternoon staring at Michelangelo's masterpiece, rendered in a beautiful, high-resolution panorama. Your virtual visit will also be serenaded by choral music, which is more pleasant than listening to obnoxious tourists and clicking cameras, anyway.

SwitchedVatican Brings the Sistine Chapel to Your Desktop originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artmichelangelomuseumSistine ChapelSistineChapeltoptourvaticanvirtualWebSat, 12 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Skull-Camera Artist Undone by Skull Health Issues]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/10/wafaa-bilal-forced-to-remove-skull-camera/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/10/wafaa-bilal-forced-to-remove-skull-camera/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/10/wafaa-bilal-forced-to-remove-skull-camera/#commentsMultimedia/performance artist Wafaa Bilal has been forced to remove the camera he had attached to the back of his head in December. The camera, which streamed images to Bilal's website and to the Mathaf in Doha, Qatar, was implanted by a body modification artist (read: tattoo guy), but his immune system rejected it. (Also, he was in constant pain.) Bilal had the camera surgically removed on Friday, and is currently carrying it around his neck until he can get it re-implanted.

SwitchedSkull-Camera Artist Undone by Skull Health Issues originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artcameraimplant rejectionImplantRejectiontopWafaa BilalWafaaBilalThu, 10 Feb 2011 10:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Swedish Street Artist Constructs Rainbow-Painting Robot]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/akay-robo-rainbow/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/akay-robo-rainbow/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/akay-robo-rainbow/#comments
Geeks, tinkerers and amateur engineers obviously love Rube Goldberg devices, those overly complicated, ridiculous contraptions that accomplish mundane, everyday tasks. Akay, a Swedish street artist, has assembled one impressively complex technical apparatus that both defiles and brightens the urban landscape with a single and (seemingly) simple swoosh.

Using a bicycle and a diverse array of components, Akay constructed a mobile "Instrument of Mass Destruction," or, as he has called it, the 'Robo-Rainbow.' The mobile, self-powered graffiti-bot employs a swinging arm -- with spray paint cans attached -- to produce a symmetrical rainbow arc. Some observers don't appreciate the aesthetic value of street art, but there's at least one guy who must certainly be enthralled with this device. Although, he might just scoff -- since it does produce a mere single spectrum.

SwitchedSwedish Street Artist Constructs Rainbow-Painting Robot originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>akayartdiygoldbergcontraptionsgraffitirobotsRubeGoldbergMachinestreet artStreetArttopThu, 03 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EST<![CDATA['Face to Facebook' Is Part Art, Part Hack]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/face-to-facebook-paolo-cirio-alessandro-ludovico/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/face-to-facebook-paolo-cirio-alessandro-ludovico/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/face-to-facebook-paolo-cirio-alessandro-ludovico/#commentsFace to Facebook
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Part art project, part dating site, and part ingenious hacking exercise, 'Face to Facebook' is the brain child of Paolo Cirio and Alessandro Ludovico. The digital artists stole (in their own words) one million Facebook profiles -- everything from interests to photos -- provided that data was public. With their massive collection of liberated data, Cirio and Ludovico began poring over the information when they struck upon an idea that seemed rather obvious in retrospect: that people are on Facebook to meet other people. The goal is to connect with others, potentially in a romantic way. So the duo decided to filter the accounts based on their profile photos. Images were fed through an algorithm that sorted accounts into certain personality types (such as "easy going" or "funny") based on facial expressions. The pre-sorted accounts were then posted to a site called Lovely Faces.

As a companion piece to the site, Cirio and Ludovico collected more than 2,000 of the profile images, printed them out and mounted them at the Transmediale Festival in Berlin.

Switched'Face to Facebook' Is Part Art, Part Hack originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artfacebookFaceToFacebookLovelyFacesSocialNetworkingtopwebThu, 03 Feb 2011 14:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Kinect Used to Film Eerie Music Video]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/02/kinect-films-echo-lake-music-video/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/02/kinect-films-echo-lake-music-video/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/02/kinect-films-echo-lake-music-video/#comments
We've seen the Kinect do some pretty amazing tricks. It's easy to forget, though, that, despite all the hacking and bolting the gaming peripheral to robots, the Kinect is a video camera at heart. Artists Dom Jones and Dan Nixon recorded and processed the footage for a video from a band called Echo Lake using the Kinect. The results are a sublime blend of musical specters performing the song, 'Young Silence,' represented only by points of data in a 3-D space. Those of you with a good memory may notice a striking resemblance to the Radiohead video for 'House of Cards' released back in 2008. But, whereas the Radiohead video was created using a pair of very expensive 3-D scanners that blasted the surrounding area with lasers, 'Young Silence' required only the Kinect and some readily available data and video-processing software. Check out the gorgeous results above.

SwitchedKinect Used to Film Eerie Music Video originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artecho lakeEchoLakegamingkinectmusicmusic videoMusicVideotopXbox-360Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Art Project Brings Street View Into Famous Museums]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/01/google-art-project-explore-famous-art-museums/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/01/google-art-project-explore-famous-art-museums/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/01/google-art-project-explore-famous-art-museums/#comments Google Street View has known its share of controversy and embarrassment in the past, but a new project could do wonders for the virtual tour-guide application's reputation.

Google has partnered with 17 international art museums to provide virtual walking tours of their legendary halls. By visiting the Google Art Project, art fans can roam the halls of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the National Gallery in London and 15 other famous spots around the globe, viewing more than 1,000 pieces of art. Over 18 months, Google installed tracks in each museum for its Street View tricycles to photograph the interior spaces. The 360-degree views you see are the result of a collaboration between Google's experts and museum curators, who suggested the best angles, collections and works for photographing. Aside from providing virtual walking tours, the Art project also showcases images of the 17 most important works -- as selected by each museum -- in ultra hi-res gigapixel versions (That's right, 1-billion pixels). These images are so detailed that you can see the brushstrokes and other fine details that would even be difficult to see in person -- if you're lucky enough to visit all these places in a lifetime.

Continue reading Google Art Project Brings Street View Into Famous Museums

SwitchedGoogle Art Project Brings Street View Into Famous Museums originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artgooglegoogle art projectgoogle street viewGoogleArtProjectGoogleStreetViewmuseummuseumsstreet viewStreetViewtopwebTue, 01 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Interactive, Musical Subway Map 'Conductor' Lets You Strum Train Tracks]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/31/alexander-chen-conducter-mta-me-animates-nyc-subway/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/31/alexander-chen-conducter-mta-me-animates-nyc-subway/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/31/alexander-chen-conducter-mta-me-animates-nyc-subway/#commentsConductor Alexander Chen's Conductor, which is hosted at MTA.me, is an animated map of the NYC subway. Fed with departure data from the Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City, Conductor traces the train routes before your eyes. But it's just as fun to listen to as it is to watch: As trains pass each other, they produce plucked notes, and you can strum them yourself to make beautiful train track music. See a video of Conductor after the break.

Continue reading Interactive, Musical Subway Map 'Conductor' Lets You Strum Train Tracks

SwitchedInteractive, Musical Subway Map 'Conductor' Lets You Strum Train Tracks originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alexander chenAlexanderChenartconductorhtml5mtasubwaytopwebMon, 31 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Kuka the Dancing Robot Translates Music Into Art, With a Blow Torch]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/27/kuka-dancing-robot-sculpts-wax/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/27/kuka-dancing-robot-sculpts-wax/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/27/kuka-dancing-robot-sculpts-wax/#comments A dancing robot in Germany is providing an entirely new, and high-tech, meaning to the ol' musical phrase "spinning wax." Created by designer Hermann August Weizenegger and composer Michalj Kekenj for Berlin's Made art studio, the Kuka robo-dancer possesses unprecedented moves and skills. According to Wired, "the robot is programmed to process and interpret Kekenj's musical compositions -- which he plays on the violin -- into digital data." Equipped with a rotating drill bit, a blowtorch and other armaments, Kuka then carefully sculpts a physical representation of that digital musical data from a block of wax. (Check out a video of Kuka after the break.) And, for the heavy metal art fans, Weizenegger and Kekenj apparently hope to cast their favorite pieces in bronze.

Continue reading Kuka the Dancing Robot Translates Music Into Art, With a Blow Torch

SwitchedKuka the Dancing Robot Translates Music Into Art, With a Blow Torch originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artDancingRobotDancingRobotskukaRobotArtrobotstopThu, 27 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Technicolor 'Weavesilk' Generates Dreamy Art on the Fly]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/14/weavesilk-yuri-vishnevesky-generates-dreamy-art/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/14/weavesilk-yuri-vishnevesky-generates-dreamy-art/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/14/weavesilk-yuri-vishnevesky-generates-dreamy-art/#comments For Yuri Vishnevesky, Weavesilk is a colorful, interactive exercise in creative doodling. After using your mouse to draw on his site's 'night sky' -- simply by connecting dots with lines -- watch Vishnevesky's whimsical program render your scrawl into complex, textured smoke-scapes of psychedelic hues. The young Rutgers student envisions his project as being touch-based, perhaps for the iPhone or iPad, and, to help him realize his goal, he's started a Kickstarter fund. Head over and toss him a buck or two, and get first dibs on a celestial, hyperchromatic app.

SwitchedTechnicolor 'Weavesilk' Generates Dreamy Art on the Fly originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appsartComputerArtdesignGenerativeArtkickstartertopweavesilkwebYuriVishneveskyFri, 14 Jan 2011 15:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Multicolored Ink Droplets Bouncing Off Water Dazzle the Eyes]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/08/multicolored-ink-droplets-bouncing-off-water-dazzle-the-eyes/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/08/multicolored-ink-droplets-bouncing-off-water-dazzle-the-eyes/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/08/multicolored-ink-droplets-bouncing-off-water-dazzle-the-eyes/#commentstobias brauening's ink photos Inspired by raindrops, a German software engineer created some dazzling photographs of ink bouncing off the surface of water, a phenomenon that would normally be invisible to the naked eye. According to The Daily Mail, amateur photographer Tobias Brauening rigged a circuit board to trigger a camera shutter, and to open three valves at the same moment. Each valve drops a different color of ink into a plastic tank filled with water. At the point of impact, the camera captures the three colors coming together and bouncing off the water. Obviously, it took trial and error to capture these amazing shapes and colors with such precision. "A collision of three drops needs accurate timing in a range of a few milliseconds," Brauening told the Daily Mail. If the ink drops too fast, or the shutter opens too late, that means Brauening would end up with ripples instead of an ink droplet -- each one looking like a glass mushroom, growing out of the water.

SwitchedMulticolored Ink Droplets Bouncing Off Water Dazzle the Eyes originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artcameracamerasinkphotographyphotostechnicolorTobiasBraueningtopSat, 08 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[High-Speed Video Captures Sculptor's Thrown Liquids]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/26/shinichi-maruyama-thrown-liquids-photography/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/26/shinichi-maruyama-thrown-liquids-photography/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/26/shinichi-maruyama-thrown-liquids-photography/#comments Last week we covered Edward Horsford's impressive images of exploding water balloons, and we just recently stumbled upon Shinichi Maruyama's stunning slo-mo video and photos of thrown liquids. The Queens-based sculptor tosses ink, paint and water with his hands, and shoots the infinite variations with a high-end Phase One P45 camera. Don't miss the video after the break.

Continue reading High-Speed Video Captures Sculptor's Thrown Liquids

SwitchedHigh-Speed Video Captures Sculptor's Thrown Liquids originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artPhaseOneP45photographyShinichiMaruyamatopSun, 26 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Susan Kare's Original Macintosh Icons Available as Signed Prints]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/18/susan-kare-macintosh-icons-signed-prints/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/18/susan-kare-macintosh-icons-signed-prints/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/18/susan-kare-macintosh-icons-signed-prints/#commentsSusan Kare's Mac Icons Aside from inducing a very modern kind of tech rage, the OS X spinning pinwheel of death just lacks the simple beauty of Susan Kare's original icons for the Macintosh in the '80s. For anyone in need of last minute holiday shopping ideas, Tim Shey spotted these signed prints over at Kare's site. Glossy modern OSes may be marked by bevels and drop shadows, but it doesn't get much better than the Dog Cow, Smiling Mac and dreaded bomb.

SwitchedSusan Kare's Original Macintosh Icons Available as Signed Prints originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artdesigndog cowDogCowhggiconiconsmac osMacOssmiling macSmilingMacsusan kareSusanKareSat, 18 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA['DJ Light' Lets Peruvians Orchestrate and 'Play' Light-filled Balloons]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/17/dj-light-peru-light-balloons-cinimod-studio/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/17/dj-light-peru-light-balloons-cinimod-studio/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/17/dj-light-peru-light-balloons-cinimod-studio/#comments Switched loves public art. Not only is it an interesting way to get the common citizen involved with space, but by blowing installations up into a large scale, technology often finds itself getting the strangest -- but most innovative -- applications. Think Jenny Holzer's projections or Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's Web-enabled interactive pieces; the spaces these projects inhabit are not only changed by the art and the technology that is used in its display, but also by the individuals watching.

This precise relationship is the concept behind Lima, Peru's light-and-sound set-up called "DJ Light." The idea behind the installation, by U.K.-based Cinimod Studio, is to encourage the public to "DJ" LED-powered lights and ambient sounds. By filling 85 inflatable balloons with illumination that has millions of color possibilities, a member of the crowd can stand in a DJ "booth", waving her arms like a conductor to an orchestra. A heat-sensor-equipped camera follows the movements, and each gesture is then translated into a color that the balloon assumes. By using the program MAX/MSP (often employed in live electronic music), movement also correlates to ambient noise, so each wave or point will make unique but matching sounds and lights.

Gallery: DJ Light

Continue reading 'DJ Light' Lets Peruvians Orchestrate and 'Play' Light-filled Balloons

Switched'DJ Light' Lets Peruvians Orchestrate and 'Play' Light-filled Balloons originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>art installationArtInstallationChristmas light displayschristmas lightsChristmasLightDisplaysChristmasLightscinimod studioCinimodStudiodesigndj lightDjLightpublic artPublicArttopFri, 17 Dec 2010 13:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Amazing Stop-Motion Video Pays Tribute to Coin-Operated Video Games]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/17/stop-motion-video-pays-tribute-to-coin-operated-games/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/17/stop-motion-video-pays-tribute-to-coin-operated-games/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/17/stop-motion-video-pays-tribute-to-coin-operated-games/#comments
In what must have been an unimaginably painstaking ordeal, a creative team known as flyingpickles^NinjaMoped created this amazing stop-motion video homage to coin-operated video games. The dizzying clip consists entirely of coins, and touches upon arcade classics like 'Super Mario Bros.,' 'Pac-Man,' and (we think) 'Street Fighter.' And, yes, those are all coins. Check out the video, and be sure to stick around for the stop-motion tutorial at the end, just in case you want to spend countless hours of your life doing something similar.

SwitchedAmazing Stop-Motion Video Pays Tribute to Coin-Operated Video Games originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artCoinsgamingmariopac-manStopMotionstreet-fightertopvideoVideoGamesFri, 17 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[French Artist Turns Facebook Profile Into Face Profile]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/13/alexandre-oudin-facebook-profile/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/13/alexandre-oudin-facebook-profile/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/13/alexandre-oudin-facebook-profile/#commentsalexandre oudin's facebook profile Facebook users may not be able to personalize their profiles to the same ridiculous extent that MySpace members can, but that stark, blue and white design holds more potential for self-expression than you might think. Case in point: Alexandre Oudin, a French artist who recently put the 'face' back in his Facebook profile.

Taking advantage of the revamped photo layout on Facebook's new profile, Oudin turned his profile into a creative homage to, well, his own face. And, as TechCrunch explains, it's not even that hard to pull off. All you have to do is block all the photos of you that other friends have tagged, then upload your new photos to your profile pictures album. The new photos, though, need to be the exact same size as Facebook's display, otherwise it won't work. Or, if you're more interested in punking your pals than personalizing your profile, you could always use the new layout for decidedly more nefarious purposes.

SwitchedFrench Artist Turns Facebook Profile Into Face Profile originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alexandre oudinAlexandreOudinartfacebookmyspacepersonalizedprofileSocialNetworkingtopMon, 13 Dec 2010 09:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Artist Implants Camera in Head for One Year, Embraces Lonely, Single Life]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/03/wafaa-bilal-camera-implanted-head-the-3rd-i/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/03/wafaa-bilal-camera-implanted-head-the-3rd-i/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/03/wafaa-bilal-camera-implanted-head-the-3rd-i/#commentsAfter the break, you may watch an interview with the world's strangest cameraman (conducted by CNN's strangest reporter, no less). We mentioned him a while back, but artist Wafaa Bilal has successfully implanted a camera in his noggin. Having named his project 'The 3rd I,' Bilal will transmit the once-a-minute snapshots to a display at the Mathaf: The Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar.

Gallery: Wafaa Bilal - The Third I

Continue reading Artist Implants Camera in Head for One Year, Embraces Lonely, Single Life

SwitchedArtist Implants Camera in Head for One Year, Embraces Lonely, Single Life originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artcamerasiraqmathafphotographypoliticstopwafaabilalFri, 03 Dec 2010 11:50:00 EST<![CDATA[James Turrell's 'Bindu Shards' Will Melt Your Brain]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/11/22/james-turrell-bindu-shards-will-melt-your-brain/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/22/james-turrell-bindu-shards-will-melt-your-brain/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/22/james-turrell-bindu-shards-will-melt-your-brain/#commentsbindu shards Californian artist James Turrell has created some pretty unusual things in his career (fluorescent oases, and beams of ancient starlight pulled down into a crater in the desert, to name just two). As we've explained previously, the MacArthur Fellow explores ideas about light and space in a high-concept minimalism involving spirituality, astronomy and near meditative silence. And really, what kind of regular guy wants to go see some installation about that?

Well, those of you who are on the lookout for a "mental orgasm" should be interested, because that's what Turrell's latest creation, 'Bindu Shards,' has to offer. The "perceptual cell" is basically a giant dome, filled with video, light and sound. Viewers are strapped down and sealed in, one at a time, and exposed to a 15-minute experience that has been called "transcendent."

Continue reading James Turrell's 'Bindu Shards' Will Melt Your Brain

SwitchedJames Turrell's 'Bindu Shards' Will Melt Your Brain originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artbindu shardsBinduShardsinstallationJamesTurrellLightArttopMon, 22 Nov 2010 12:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Vent Your Apple Frustrations With These Destroyed iDevices]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/11/18/destroyed-iphone-macbook-gallery-tompert-fairchild/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/18/destroyed-iphone-macbook-gallery-tompert-fairchild/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/18/destroyed-iphone-macbook-gallery-tompert-fairchild/#commentsshattered apple gadgets As well-constructed and virus-resistant as Apple gadgets may be, they will inevitably crap out. And, once that MacBook begins to whine with a death rattle, you can think of little more than the several paychecks you dropped into it. That's when we, like Michael Tompert and Paul Fairchild, want to go postal. Behold the beautifully cathartic remains of iDevices shot, stabbed and sawn.

Gallery: Michael Tompert and Paul Fairchild's Exploded iDevices

SwitchedVent Your Apple Frustrations With These Destroyed iDevices originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artipadiphoneipodmacphotographyphotostopThu, 18 Nov 2010 09:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Artist to Surgically Implant Camera in the Back of His Head]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/11/17/wafaa-bilal-surgically-implant-camera-back-head-the-third-i/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/17/wafaa-bilal-surgically-implant-camera-back-head-the-third-i/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/17/wafaa-bilal-surgically-implant-camera-back-head-the-third-i/#commentsWithin the next few weeks, a man named Wafaa Bilal will undergo surgery on his head -- not to address any neurological malady or troublesome tumor, but to implant a small camera on the back of his noggin. Bilal, a new media artist and assistant professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, is going through the procedure as part of a project called 'The Third I.' For one year, the Iraqi professor's thumbnail-sized, implanted camera will capture images at one-minute intervals. These images will then be live-streamed to monitors at a new modern art museum in Qatar, which commissioned the project.

According to the museum, known as Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the work is intended to be "a comment on the inaccessibility of time, and the inability to capture memory and experience." Some, however, are worried that Bilal's constantly clicking camera may violate the privacy of those it captures. Bilal, who is currently teaching three courses this semester, initially intended to keep his camera on at all times -- even when he's in the classroom, or interacting with students during office hours. The proposal didn't sit too well with some of his colleagues. "Obviously, you don't want students to be under the burden of constant surveillance," says Fred Ritchin, associate chairman of the photography and imaging department at Tisch. "It's not a good teaching environment."

Continue reading Artist to Surgically Implant Camera in the Back of His Head

SwitchedArtist to Surgically Implant Camera in the Back of His Head originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artcamerainstallationmuseumnyuprivacyqatartischtopwafaa-bilalWafaaBilalWed, 17 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Man Builds Awesome Techno-Art Igloo, Doesn't Address Rent]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/11/16/ralf-schmerberg-refrigerator-igloo/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/16/ralf-schmerberg-refrigerator-igloo/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/16/ralf-schmerberg-refrigerator-igloo/#commentsstromfresser Technology and art have shared an intertwining and established relationship for over a century. Occasionally, uniquely intriguing pieces stand out from the monotonous crowd, and two German artists recently produced a particularly wondrous monument to technology. Well, perhaps it's more like an effigy or a funeral pyre -- without the blazing inferno.

Created by Ralf Schmerberg and Esa Ott, the 'Stromfresser' comprises two distinct pieces: Schmerberg's towering igloo, composed entirely of refrigerators, and Ott's internal "tower of consumption." Schmerberg constructed the 'Stromfresser,' or literally "Power Eater," igloo with exactly 312 refrigerators. According to AOL News, the "tower of consumption" consists of "gadgets such as fans, TVs and toasters" that are "all plugged in and draining electricity." And, just to keep up with the electrical waste, a power meter actually measures the installation's consumption.

Continue reading Man Builds Awesome Techno-Art Igloo, Doesn't Address Rent

SwitchedMan Builds Awesome Techno-Art Igloo, Doesn't Address Rent originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artenergyEnergyConservationEnergyConsumptionEsaOttgreenhouseholdinstallationPublicArtRalfSchmerbergrefrigeratorstromfressertopTue, 16 Nov 2010 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The Accidental Artistry of Google Street View]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/11/15/the-accidental-artistry-of-google-street-view/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/15/the-accidental-artistry-of-google-street-view/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/15/the-accidental-artistry-of-google-street-view/#commentsgoogle street view via jon rafman While we've discussed Google Street View's propensity to catch criminals, all of the service's arresting images don't have to do with arrests. Tumblr user Jon Rafman has compiled an album of incidentally captivating pictures that document natural wonder, human eccentricity, situational irony, accidental surrealism, and urban destitution. (Oh, and lots of urban prostitution, too.)

SwitchedThe Accidental Artistry of Google Street View originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artGoogleStreetviewphotographystreetviewtopwebMon, 15 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Artist as Cardiologist: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's 'Pulse Phone' App Monitors Your Ticker]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/11/10/rafael-lozano-hemmer-pulse-phone-iphone-app-heart-monitor/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/10/rafael-lozano-hemmer-pulse-phone-iphone-app-heart-monitor/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/10/rafael-lozano-hemmer-pulse-phone-iphone-app-heart-monitor/#commentspulse phone app If you've followed our coverage of Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, you'll know that the tech-lovin' artist has a thing for biometrics. Now, as part of his ongoing series of biometric objects and installations, Lozano-Hemmer has turned to iDevices with his 'Pulse Phone' app.

Put simply, Pulse Phone is a heart rate monitor that gathers pulse data by using your iPhone's camera. As you lightly place your finger over the camera lens, the app registers subtle changes in the color and brightness of the image -- looking through your finger to monitor the blood as it pulses through your digits. This is made easier with the iPhone 4's built-in camera flash -- although older models will work (as will the newest iPod touch), provided that you're in a very well-lit room. "The nice thing about the flash is that it is so bright that you can easily use the app in complete darkness," Lozano-Hemmer tells us in an e-mail. "The results are also pretty immune to you moving your hand around while the pulse is being detected."

Gallery: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's 'Pulse Phone' App

Continue reading The Artist as Cardiologist: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's 'Pulse Phone' App Monitors Your Ticker

SwitchedThe Artist as Cardiologist: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's 'Pulse Phone' App Monitors Your Ticker originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleappsartheartheart rateHeartRateiosiphonepulsepulse phonePulsePhonerafael lozano-hemmerRafaelLozano-hemmerWed, 10 Nov 2010 17:50:00 EST<![CDATA[LED Constellation Display Lights Up Grand Central, Once Again]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/11/09/grand-central-station-led-constellation-new-york/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/09/grand-central-station-led-constellation-new-york/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/09/grand-central-station-led-constellation-new-york/#comments The bright lights of New York may prevent its inhabitants from seeing heavenly bodies at night, but inside Grand Central Station, New Yorkers can now star-gaze to their hearts' content. A group of electricians recently revamped a brilliant, LED-lit constellation display along the ornate ceiling of the Grand Central Terminal, giving new life to a tradition that was dangerously close to fading.

The ceiling has been adorned with an illuminated constellation display for nearly 98 years, but had recently fallen on hard times, thanks to burned-out bulbs and a fiber-optic system that had slowly begun to fail. Over the course of the past six months, though, the Metro-North Railroad has been renovating and refurbishing the installation, which was finally unveiled on Monday.

Continue reading LED Constellation Display Lights Up Grand Central, Once Again

SwitchedLED Constellation Display Lights Up Grand Central, Once Again originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artconstellationGrandCentralgreenledMTANewYorkstarsterminaltoptransportationTue, 09 Nov 2010 13:40:00 EST