Concept
Mobile Misuse is a series of art/research projects that engage individuals in intimate personal performances that transcend, transgress or transform mobile disengagement from public experience.
Working
Definitions
Mobile:
1: capable of moving or being moved : movable 2 a: changeable in appearance, mood, or purpose b: adaptable , versatile 3: migratory 4 a: characterized by the mixing of social groups b: having the opportunity for or undergoing a shift in status within the hierarchical social levels of a society 5: marked by the use of vehicles for transportation 6: of or relating to a mobile 7: cellular
Misuse:
1: to use incorrectly : misapply 2: abuse , mistreat
Goal
The goal of the project is to create engaging public interactive experiences involving mobile technologies with a focus on interactive experiences that can be replicated or modified in other locations. These will be examples of the limitless opportunities that exist to produce creative experiences that play with the liminal spaces between people and devices.
During the production phase, we develop the most promising concepts from the research and study phase. We then script and diagram the production, create the visuals, sets and design the interaction for the most promising concepts. Once production has been completed, we rehearse the work and stage a test performance. Once the testing is successful we will arrange for larger public presentations of the work. The entire process will be documented on websites and in research papers that reflect on the experiments and their results.During the next academic year I am collaborating with Andrew Morrison and in residence at InterMedia, University of Oslo, in order to manifest this project.
Research Location Background
In Scandinavia, mobile phones, have been adopted and used in numbers beyond most other countries. Norwegians send tens of millions of text messages a day from a base population of approximately 4.5 million. They also use their phones for interactions with media and organizations, such as filing their tax returns via SMS (text messages) and communicating with television stations that broadcast their text messages and images. According to recent reports, about 90% of 10 year-old Norwegians have their own cell phone. The use of mobile technologies in the US lags far behind Europe and Scandinavia, which makes the research of advanced uses of these devices in other locations critically important to artists and designers in the US.
Oslo, Norway provides a central base for research into Norwegian and Scandinavian mobile practices. It is a hub for art and design activity and a hub for travel to other parts of Norway and Scandinavia (Bergen, Stavanger, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Malmø, etc.) making it easy to visit a broad spectrum of artists, designers and organizations.
Current Research Info
Working Bibliography
Mobile Misuse Research Blog
Roving Projection Experiment, Oslo, Norway, 3/08
Timeline
June-August 08: Preliminary research and preparation
September – November 08: Main research and conceptual phase
December 08 – February 09: Production, prototyping, testing
March 09: Public Performance of Project
Beyond: Location specific mutations of the performances
Funding
The Mobile Misuse project is supported in part by a Fulbright Scholar grant, an American-Scandinavian Foundation grant, and by a Quinnipiac University research sabbatical.