Play audio:
The Warbike is an unbelievably cool art project that I had a chance to try out recently. Here’s how artist David McCallum describes it in an online entry:
Did you know that almost anywhere that you go in a city you’ll be sharing space with someone’s private wireless computer network? All of their personal communication—e-mail, love messages, bank passwords, credit card numbers, and bizarre surfing habits—will be passing through your body without your awareness. Who are they, and how do you feel about sharing space with their personal life?
The Warbike turns this wireless network activity into sound. As you cycle the streets, you’ll hear the activity of this invisible communications layer that permeates our public spaces. Who knew that so much was going on?
Here’s what the Warbike looks like:
And here’s David with the guts of the Warbike:
Listen here for a sample of what the Warbike’s audio sounds like. I strapped a microphone on the carrier of the bicycle. David’s Warbike will be at Toronto’s Nuit Blanche all-night art festival this weekend, and his Warbike will then be available for the pedalling FREE until December 1st at Interaccess Electronic Media Arts Centre
Update: Check out the full interview with David McCallum on the October 10/13 episode of Spark. It’s the first story.
It is indeed cool. I rode it during Nuite Blanche. Your clip really does give a significant part of th experience. As you ride you get a warm sense of the neighbourhood ticking over behind dark lawns and closed doors in the snug, warm homes.
Oh, great to hear someone else’s experience. It is cool, isn’t it? Kind of like discovering a secret.
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