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PeopleFirst! - Framing Information Society and its Discontents Interactive installatation World Summit on Information Society 5th - 12th December 2003 Geneva Website: www.bitnik.org/PeopleFirst Keywords: *mapping *information society *virtual geography *digital divide | |||
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In the run-up to the World Summit on Information Society (Part I) 2003 in Geneva the Swiss foundation Science et Cité organised a series of events held in different Swiss cities called «Living in an information society» (In der Informationsgesellschaft leben). In panels the participants discussed the role of information technology for society an how these technologies impact different spheres. Science et Cité commisioned !Mediengruppe Bitnik to exhibit the film documentaries of these panels in an art installation in the main train station of Geneva. !Mediengruppe Bitnik contrasted the film documentaries, which centered on the Swiss problematics and debates around information society, with maps on the global conditions of information society. These world maps focussed on the discontents towards the current state of the global information society and served as a context for the film documents. |
The global conditions of information society are shown in different indicators prcessed through a mapping software developed especially for this project. The maps generated through the software differ from established geographical maps: The statistical data is assigned directly to the territorial area of the respective country. Consequently countries which have high values in a particular data set take up more room on the map. Small values let a countries territorial area shrink together until, in extreme examples, it disappears from the face of the earth entirely. Every time an indicator is activated, a the world map is morphed to display a different statistical profile of the current state of the world. Visitors to the installation can interact by choosing an indicator using a control panel to the front of the display. |
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The display panel for the maps is set into an ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) tent, normally used in humanitarian aid. The use of an ICRC tent as the sculptural body for the installation emphasises the focus of the project on the problematics concerning the digital divide. |
It is also aimed at critisising the way the WSIS where conducted: In closed sessions, without the participation of civile society and NGOs and discussing mainly topics of infrastructure and commercial development. Thus the tent was also intended as an appeal for responsible action in the handling of technological resources and towards just conditions for everyone in information society. Website: www.bitnik.org/PeopleFirst |
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!Mediengruppe Bitnik, Zürich -
 2003-2007
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