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 webslinky: things to make and do
This week, one we prepared earlier. What's your idea of creative expression? Does it mostly consist of coming up with your own custom snack? Of course, one of the great things about the internet is that there’s a site devoted to that very topic. But the net also provides spaces for those with a cheekier, more artistic desire to invent and share ideas.Take, for instance, the gleefully geeky students at MIT who one night turned the institute’s halls into a lifesize level from Super Mario Bros, complete with a giant warp-pipe hanging from the ceiling and even an end-of-level flag on the building's roof. Coverage of the event sparked fans’ imaginations and now Mario's iconic floating question-mark blocks have been popping up in public spaces all over the world. Poster Child's page contains more question-mark block resources than you'd reasonably expect to exist – including links to reports of the infamous incident in Ohio where “alarmed residents” reported the enigmatic bequestion-marked packages to local police. The reports don't mention whether the officers tried headbutting the boxes to see what would pop out, though. But if making giant Mario blocks out of shiny craft paper all seems a bit too Blue Peter, Eyebeam's incredible Graffiti Research Lab is a bit more Johnny Ball. “Dedicated to outfitting graffiti artists with open source technologies for urban communication”, the site for this real-world New York facility contains videos of their subversive creations in action. Looking beyond spray cans – and indeed, paint - the artists have been experimenting with the use of simple electronics to make their mark using artificial light. Another invention to emerge from the street art scene is Felix Hardmood Beck's Soundbomb - an endearing transparent sphere containing eye-like speakers and a sensor, which startles pedestrians by emitting a recorded sound when triggered by motion. Like the other ideas found on these sites, Beck's “audio graffiti” devices aren't created for malicious use. Instead, they are intended to add the playful surprise of the (pleasantly) unexpected to the uniform urban environment. If you feel inspired, just remember to keep the graffiti within your own home, kids, and ask an adult to help with any cutting.
David Thair
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related info
 useful linkslaura.mitblogs.com www.qwantz.com www.graffitiresearchlab.com www.soundbombs.info
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 webslinky #086photo fun  webslinky #085ninjas  webslinky #084high street hi-jinks  webslinky #083mad world  webslinky #082gaming humour  webslinkyarchive books  books and comics archive Author interviews and reviews from 2002 to 2008. art  art archive Watch artist interviews and see images from British exhibitions. |
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