V2_: DPsNtN by Christin Lahr

[Claudia Westermann]

[DPsNtN] = DISPLACED_PERSONS say NOTHING to NOBODY
by Christin Lahr (D)

Opening: Friday 21st September 2001, 17.30 hours
Open: Friday 21st September 2001 till Sunday 14th October 2001, Tue-Sat
12.00 - 18.00 hours, Sun 12.00 - 17.00 hours, closed Monday
Location: Werkstad Las Palmas, Wilhelminakade, Rotterdam and realtime
on-line participation www.v2.nl/lahr

DISPLACED_PERSONS is a computer-controlled interactive environment in
Werkstad Las Palmas, and is linked to the Internet. The installation
focuses on human communication and the tensions and overlap between
physical and virtual spaces, physical non-action versus virtual action, and
the interplay between watching and being watched.
Inside a room 8 loudspeakers emit a computer-generated multi-vocal
conversation. The moment someone enters the room, sensors register movement
and cause the voices to abruptly break off. This sudden entry is viewed as
an intrusion on the conversation, and the latter will only resume when
either everyone has left the room or remains completely motionless as a group.
Web users can control 6 surveillance cameras and switch between different
angles in order to follow the behaviour of the visitors. These video "cuts"
are immediately projected on a screen outside of the room, and figure as
direct testimonies of the clicking behaviour of the users. In addition, the
exhibition visitors can be addressed via the loudspeakers through a chatbox
with speechsynthesis on: www.v2.nl/lahr

Producers: V2_Organisatie (part of Las Palmas), Eendrachtsstraat 10, 3012
XL Rotterdam and Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes Rotterdam, Westersingel 9,
3014 GM Rotterdam.
With the kind support of: Las Palmas, International Centre for Visual
Culture & Media Technology, Rotterdam 2001, Cultural Capital of Europe,
Rotterdam 2001, Werkstad in Las Palmas, SkyberNet, Luna.nl, Martin
Behaim-Haus Foundation.