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Image courtesy of randydandy via the Londonist Flickr poolMy brother and I live some 3,000 miles apart. Between busy schedules and a 5-hour time difference, we don’t talk nearly enough. Meanwhile, revelling in the ridiculous is a shared family trait. So when we learned that the Telectroscope installation would connect our respective cities, even, nearly, our respective neighbourhoods, we thought, yes, brilliant, obviously we’re going to have to check this out. We can’t often schedule a time to talk on the phone, but we will schedule a time to talk via placards at some gimmicky public art project.
Image courtesy of j_bary under the Creative Commons Attribution licenseWe’re both there at the agreed-upon time, and I jump when I see him. Though not life-size, he seems close by – as though through binoculars I’ve just spotted him on the banks of the Thames not far from where I stand. Except that that’s the Brooklyn Bridge behind him. He waves. I wave. He waves again. I wave again. We stop and stare at each other. So I wave some more. We’ve been communicating in some form or another for 24 years, but this renders us ineffectual. Unable to talk to him, I turn to the crowd of strangers on my end and do something I don’t usually do and in retrospect find deeply disturbing: I talk to them. “That’s my brother over there!” This elicits the appropriate “aw” I had been aiming for. Now they too wave at him. I become aware that I’m talking (and probably gesticulating wildly) at the Telectroscope even though he can’t hear me. He’s shrugging at me and shaking his head. Finally, he pulls out his mobile and motions for me to call him. I do, and we have a good laugh about how ridiculous the whole thing felt.
Image courtesy of cowfish via the Londonist Flickr poolAfterwards, the man standing next to me tells me that this is the most worthwhile public art project he’s ever seen and that he hopes the installation will be extended or even made permanent. Most public art, he says, is the work of “twats”. The former sentiment, at least, is certainly echoed by a number of the visitors who have left comments over at the Telectroscope site.
Image courtesy of Noah Jacquemin under the Creative Commons Attribution licenseOur assessment? Kind of silly, a bit gimmicky, nice scenery and, yes, rather awkward. Especially without the erasable boards we’d read would be available to write messages to each other. It also feels a bit like being in the zoo or a laboratory. Look – New Yorkers! In their natural habitat!
Still, it’s oddly fun. The fun’s on for only another 10 days, though, as the installation is scheduled to close on 15 June. Head here for the full details.
Image courtesy of crowbot under the Creative Commons Attribution licenseHappy viewing!
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The lack of whiteboards is upsetting. I wonder if there were too many incidents of impropriety.
Are they still charging a pound on our end? It looks less enclosed than I'd imagined. I thought there was a turnstile.
Yes, it costs Londoners a pound. You're right about it being fairly open. I imagine there are times when it wouldn't be too difficult to walk right in without paying (not that I'm advocating that). Although there are a few people there to monitor the queue and shuffle people along when crowds are heavy, there isn't actually someone there collecting money. You feed your pound (note, must have coins!) into a Victorian-looking mechanical ticket booth, and a pair of disembodied hands write you out and dispense the ticket.
More pics of the tickets and the ticket booth here and here. It's interesting...
I got a little bit choked up when I read this... that's what public art is supposed to be about.
ha! I went on a rainy afternoon and scooted right up to it, no pound necessary. It was weird, and slightly awkward, but also kind of thrilling. So, how many more days, do we think, until the Marriage Proposal Via Teletroscope Story??
Ah ha, I stand corrected about the price of entry.
This from a Gothamist interview with the Telectroscope creator, Paul St George:
Also, this in response to your question, Kira: