Case of Nam June Paik’s early show in Wuppertal - He just opened the show from 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm bc that was the only time slot when the television show was live back then in Germany. However retrieving the real-time television show contents and post-processing it was an important conceptual dimension of his practice, thus he made this kind of decision.
Same for the case of cildo meireles’ Babel in Tate Modern → How amazing is it to get the real-time audio and multiply it to reflect the radio/audio/pop culture we’re living in?
The web is the space where you can easily integrate any sort of real-time external sources → Why not try? Something that I hadn’t rapidly tried so far… Different from the integration of ChatGPT, in a way that ChatGPT just generates the text from the stored data (not real-time although API itself is real-time and structure allows real-time interaction), but something like retrieving real-time audio television data/integrating youtube/transportation data is a sort of different story. Something more integrable within the/with the real-world? What will be the possible categories?
Attempts tried within Civilisation Movement 3 → Good, but getting just fake API. Need to be more than that. But good speculative/graphic design-oriented reflection on contemporary society. But something more than that? What kind of aesthetic/approach can Multi-Device Web Artwork only/represenatively serve? (Repetition/Randomness/Cyclicality)
Remember the idea of making a collective sort of painting approach visually inspired from Jean-Michel Basquiat/Cy Twombly? A possible integration on this? Jean-Michel Basquiat: Collage-like representation of the contemporary world, collaged contemporary, each part is acting independently reflecting different parts of the contemporary world…. The-world-we’re-living-in?? An ecosystem, independently functioning and spanning all across, but also resonates & exists within a single canvas. Different parts in 2D digital canvas represent different parts of the modern world - retrieved & visualised & symbolised via extensive use of APIs.
GPT just generated a bunch of ideas for me:
1. Live Broadcast and Streaming Media Television & Radio Feeds: Incorporate real-time television or radio broadcasts into installations or performances. For example, an installation could use live news feeds from multiple countries, juxtaposed to explore global perspectives. Social Media Feeds: Real-time integration of social media content like Twitter or Instagram, reflecting the pulse of current events or public sentiment in an immediate and unfiltered way. Streaming Services: Utilize live data from streaming platforms (e.g., Twitch, YouTube) to reflect current trends in gaming, entertainment, or live events. This could include interactive elements where the audience’s input directly influences the content being streamed. 2. Environmental and Sensor Data Weather Data: Real-time integration of global weather data to create art that responds to or reflects the current atmospheric conditions across various locations. For instance, a visual display that changes color or intensity based on temperature, wind speed, or precipitation. Air Quality & Pollution Levels: Data on air quality or pollution can be used to drive changes in an installation, making the invisible visible and raising awareness of environmental issues. Seismic Activity: Real-time earthquake or seismic data could be used in sound installations or kinetic sculptures that react to tremors happening around the world. 3. Transportation and Movement Traffic & Public Transit Data: Visualize or sonify real-time traffic patterns or public transportation activity in a city. This could create a dynamic representation of urban life and movement. Flight and Maritime Data: Track real-time flight paths or ship movements, possibly visualizing the global flow of goods and people, or highlighting the impact of human activity on the environment. 4. Communication & Human Interaction Live Chat/Conversations: Integration of real-time chat from platforms like Discord, WhatsApp, or Slack into installations, exploring the nature of communication in the digital age. Live Translations: Real-time translation services could be used to create multi-lingual art pieces, highlighting the diversity of languages and cultures in real-time conversations. 5. Financial and Economic Data Stock Market Feeds: Visual or auditory representations of real-time stock market data, reflecting the volatility and pace of global economics. Cryptocurrency Transactions: Tracking and visualizing real-time blockchain transactions, reflecting the emerging world of digital finance and its implications for privacy, security, and value exchange. 6. Health and Biological Data Real-Time Health Monitoring: Integration of biometric data (e.g., heart rate, brain waves) into an art piece that responds to the physical state of the participants or audience. Global Health Data: Using live data from health organizations (e.g., real-time tracking of disease outbreaks) to create visualizations or installations that respond to the current global health situation. 7. Geospatial and Location-Based Data Real-Time Mapping: Interactive installations using live GPS data, where participants’ locations influence the artwork. This could include global maps that highlight areas of high activity or current events. Geofencing & Augmented Reality: Use geofencing to trigger real-time AR experiences based on the location of participants, blending the digital and physical worlds in a highly interactive manner. Conceptual Dimensions and Potential Projects: Dynamic Narrative Installations: Create installations where real-time data drives a continuously evolving narrative. For example, a story that changes based on live weather patterns, financial data, or social media trends. Responsive Architecture: Design buildings or spaces that change in response to real-time environmental data, such as shifting lighting based on the time of day, weather, or air quality. Real-Time Music and Sound Art: Generate soundscapes that are influenced by live inputs such as seismic activity, traffic data, or social media sentiment. These could be used in concert settings, installations, or even as generative music albums that never sound the same twice. Interactive Public Art: Develop public art installations that change based on real-time data, such as digital murals that shift with the weather or light displays that respond to traffic flows.
But I need smth more than this… This is too typical, Rafael Lozano already did stuff like this. Or maybe a mixture? Is this meaningful? Partly global health data, partly augmented reality, partly Stock Market, partly live conversation… Collage? In a single canvas/single screen? Each part has a different QR and the audience interacts with a different mobile landing sites, and this will influence that exact part. I.e. if a user lands on the stock market app and does some trading that will interactively change the screen - but not rapidly since it’s a symbolised act? What is the meaning behind here? Too much production cost maybe compared to the conceptual value?
What should be collaged? What is the justification for this collage? What is the political message behind this? What is the value more than just merely displaying the collage - A narrative - Sum is bigger than the sum of parts? That’s the world we’re living in? An attempt to create a chaotic/uncomprehendible Times Square? In a single canvas? Broadway Boogie-Woogie? Related to the concept of naked interface/creating an interface which is not for the users but which 여과없이 세상의 원리를 들어내는…. 가감없이…
Text written by Jeanyoon Choi
Ⓒ Jeanyoon Choi, 2025