[spectre] Presentation Urban Eyes @ V2_, 24 Nov.

[richard de boer]

Award-winning cross-media project by Markus Kirsch and Jussi Ängeslevä
Presentation of Urban Eyes

On Thursday 24 November, Marcus Kirsch and Jussi Ängeslevä present their
award winning cross-media project Urban Eyes at V2_. Urban Eyes wants to
provide an alternative view on the city by using pigeons as the
messengers of camera and other imagery overlooking the main streets and
back alleys.

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Urban Eyes project presentation
Location: V2_, Eendrachtsstraat 10, Rotterdam (tram 4 or 5 / metro
Calandlijn, Eendrachtsplein station)
Date: Thursday 24 November 2005, 19:30 hrs
Entrance: free
Participators: Marcus Kirsch (UK) and Jussi Ängeslevä (D)
Urban Eyes is made possible with support of: Datamars S.A., Sokymat,
Motz-Computer, Arts Council England and V2_Lab.
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The urban rock dove (columba livia) is part of every cityscape. More
hated than loved due to malnourishment based on fast food left-overs,
the "flying rat" is very likely here to stay in our urban scenario. The
urban pigeon population can be seen as an indicator of the city's
atmosphere. Bottomline is, just as every other behaviour pattern and
network in the city, we are connected to it as we share the same space.

In a mixture of revived shamanism and panoptic view that might challenge
the artificial network of CCTV cameras, the pigeon population's
unpredictable movement patterns offer a set of eyes that could offer a
unique view onto unknown places. Based on the Bavarian Pigeon Corps from
1903, where homing pigeons were equipped with tiny cameras to take
aerial shots from behind enemy lines, Urban Eyes uses RFID and wireless
technology to turn the once able urban pigeon into a chaotic agent and
messenger of visual impressions from the road you never took.

Perceived as a critical design concept and public art installation,
Urban Eyes accesses the live network of pigeons to expand what you know
about your own city and reclaim the exploring stage of citylife. In 2004
the project proposal of Urban Eyes won 3rd price at Fusedspace, an
international competition for innovative applications for new technology
in the public domain.

On Thursday 24 November at V2_, media artists Marcus Kirsch and Jussi
Ängeslevä will present Urban Eyes with an introduction to the project's
origins and concept and the findings of Kirsch' research during his V2_
residency. The presentation includes an example run of the prototype
built in and with the help of the V2_Lab over the last two months as
well as perspectives on Urban Eyes' future.

You are welcome to join the presentation and discussion.


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V2_, Institute for the Unstable Media
Eendrachtsstraat 10, 3012 XL Rotterdam, NL
PO Box 19049, 3001 BA Rotterdam, NL
Tel + 31 10 206 72 72 | Fax + 31 10 206 72 71
E-mail info AT v2.nl | URL http://www.v2.nl
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