Router Gallery / Wifi Galleries / Walled Gardens
"You know your wifi router in your house? What if it served art........ and that's it?"
Router Galleries are geographically discrete, browser based art projects that are served from standalone wifi routers with custom firmware and preloaded art. Imagine the possibilities!
The Linksys Wrt54g Wireless Router operates on an open source linux based operating system. Specialized firmware packages for the WRT54g are freely available on the internet allowing one to customize the functionality of this robust and readily available piece of hardware. The administration pages for these routers are served from a pared down version of the ubiquitous Apache webserver, and this combination of open source software, apache and wifi signal transmission are what I propose to use to create individual Router Galleries.
Router Galleries are discrete pieces of browser based art served from standalone Linksys routers with custon firmware. Wifi galleries do not rely on the internet at large, the art that is served is only available within that particular router's wifi signal. Access to the larger internet is not available from the Wifi Galleries router. Router galleries are discrete, both geographically and in content.
One of net.art's strength is that it is available from anywhere(with net acess)in the world, 24 hours a day. Router Galleries question this aspect of the internet by forcing viewers to GO TO a particular spot, just as one would travel to an exhibition, or show, or happening.
Will being "there" make seeing the piece more important? What other possibilities exist by having to be in a particular geographic spot? What might arise? Will people geotag the spot to prove they saw the show? Will strangers be brought together? Will they create their own router gallery?
Funds would be used:
| $1800 | to collaborate with programmers to develop a custom open sourced firmware with a simple browser based interface for uploading browser based art works, ie:html/images/flash/qt/java, anything executable by a web browser |
| $600 |
to purchase routers |
| $300 | to develop and publish a website announcing the location and descriptions of Router Gallery shows worldwide. |
| $300 | to curate pieces for the Router Galleries, pay curators |
| $300 | to ship and return Router Galleries to Router Gallery locations, preloaded with art, worldwide. |
| $100 | to purchase batteries for live Router Gallery exhibitions at conferences, openings, and events around the world. |
| $100 | to serve the open sourced firmware from the Router Gallery website. |
| $3500 Total |
The user experience would be similar to logging into a protected wifi network, minus the login part. Once the "router gallery" network has been joined, any http requests automatically send the client to the page containing the artwork. Any other http requests for pages outside of the router would send the user back to the same place,(to the art) until they choose to login to a different wifi network.
The limited amount of storage space(2-3 mb) depending on size of firmware) would force artists to be creative and make efficient use of server space. Limitations always make for better art.....if you ask me...
Past work:
Hypertemporality Animations, are completely dependent upon the availability and functionality of the internet, thinking about these animations and then subverting their purpose and functioanlity, is why I am thinking about Router Galleries... which almost completely negate the functionaliity of the web...there is no web, no tinternet in a Router Gallery.
Hypertemps are large animations which are dissected, each piece is turned into a discrete gif, they are loaded into a table and displayed in your browser. Network conditions, bandwidth, and client computer and browser choice all affect how the hypertemps are recieved/percieved. Someday, when we all have quantum computers and infinite bandwidth, these will no longer function in my intended way(which is to glitch and visually show the limitations of the net), they will eventually look exaclty like the original animations... they are a visualization of compression,of space, of time....married on the internet......
in 2005 I made a conscious decision to stop publishing my own vanity type(homepage)websites/pages and use social networks, blogging and other web services as a representation of myself....netdotart, originally concieved of as delicious for netart links, became my homepage, sending people to my other activities. it is not up to date, and this is ok.
my flickr feed has become my diary and I feel that it accuratley represents my daily activities and observations as an artist....
cv is here: CV.