Received 03/01/2005 05:08
About
IN Network
http://Turbulence.org/Works/innetwork
Michael Mandiberg and Julia S.
The current version of IN Network is a recreation of the original 2005 dynamic blog site via the long memory of Archive.org's Wayback Machine. In 2009, the site was taken offline because it had been overrun with comment spam, and when it was brought back online to strip out the spam everything was broken. Every effort has been made to preserve the original look and feel; all of the original functionality of the EasyMoblog software has been removed. Many thanks to Meaghan Scanlan and Sara Kladky rebuilding the site.
IN Network is an extended cell phone life-art performance about distance, communication, intimacy, telepresence, and living together while apart. In August 2004 artist Michael Mandiberg moved to New York; Julia S. remained in Los Angeles, postponing her move for a year because of commitments to her job and her collaborative art practice. Faced with a year apart, and the prospect of a long-distance relationship, the two artists got their frequent flyer numbers handy, and switched both of their cell phones to a provider with free "IN Network" service.
Michael and Julia started out having normal conversations, giving each other updates about their days, and sending cameraphone pictures back and forth, etc. As they switched to using hands-free microphones, they began using the phone differently. They started doing things together at the same time, 3000 miles away, via cellular connection: driving to/from work, eating dinner, giving lectures to students, going for a walk, having a cocktail, reading books in silence, falling asleep and waking up.
What began as a pragmatic attempt to make their relationship last the year of separation through good communication, turned into something less about communication and more about intimacy through (misuse of) technology, and sharing (sonic-virtual) space.
During the month of March the artists will present this cell-phone life-art performance via a Photo Moblog and Podcast on Turbulence.org. The IN Network site will host a Podcast of recordings of their phone conversations. . There will be several live webcasts of audio of the artists sleeping together on their cellphones. They will route all text messages and picture messages sent to one another through the IN Network site.
IN Network Website
http://Turbulence.org/Works/innetwork
IN Network Podcast (RSS 2.0 Feed)
http://Turbulence.org/Works/innetwork/mp3/rss.xml
Contact Info
juliasteinmetz -at- yahoo -dot- com
michael -at- mandiberg -dot- com
IN Network is a 2005 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, (aka Ether-Ore) for its Turbulence web site. It was made possible with funding from the Jerome Foundation.
