Overview

This is an interactive network installation for tactile communication on a world wide scale.

Development of information technology enables us to learn things about places all over the world we normally would not know about. We are able to contact people in distant places easily and directly by telephone or email on a daily basis.But we cannot deny that we still have a difficulty communicating across different languages. How can we feel or communicate with people with different languages and cultures even when information technology has made them seem so close?

This installation enables audience to experience the tactile communication with someones in the other part of the world and to communicate beyond languages.

Imagine a pole piercing the earth. One end emerges in Neunkirchen, Germany and the other at a public space in Tokyo. You can push and pull this pole on one side of the earth and someone on the other side may push back to you.

You can also see the motion of the pole and of the audiences you communicate with on the other side of the earth.They may manipulate the pole like you or not like you. Regardless, the motion you make invites others to join in. This installation consists of a pair poles, applox. 50 cm long, representing two ends of an imaginary bar passing through the earth. One pole resides at Berlin in Germany, the other at a public space in Tokyo.

When audience in one side pushes the pole, the pole in the other side slides out. And when audiences in both side push or pull at nearly the same time, they will feel each other the movement of the others touching who are communicating with them.

System

a) Pole part

Each slidable pole has sensors and a motor.A computer detects the movement of a pole and sends it thorough the internet to the other side. Audiences, then, communicate through interaction of the poles.

b) Streaming media part

A screen projects an image of the other side on the wall at each site.
These projections enable us to imagine a huge bar that goes through the earth and provide a visual cue that someone is responding to your actions on the pole.

History

“World/World” is created and produced by the members of Public Communication Sculpture,Noriyuki Fujimura and Nodoka Ui.

This art installation was realized in August 2001 and is shown in the art festval “The-virtual-mine-project” in Neunkirchen,Germany.And during the festival, it was also shown in the entrance hall of the museum of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music as 4 days exhibition from Aug 30th to Sep 2nd.

-Related website-
The virtual mine project :http://www.the-virtual-mine.net/