““What is the Internet for You?” Pt. 1” by Lorenz Potthast

Title:

“What is the Internet for You?” Pt. 1

Artist(s) and People Involved:

Medium:

Participative Projection Mapping

Art Event Affiliation:

The People’s Smart Sculpture (PS2)

Artist Statement:

In this participative digital art installation Lorenz Potthast (Xenorama) and the PS2 Subproject “Express Yourself/ City” at KZNSA Gallery broached the internet based connectivity between Africa and Europe and in particular the one deep sea internet cable that connects the two sister cities Durban and Bremen and what it means for people. People could send an email and the different opinions became part of a projection on the front of the gallery.

A second part of “What is the Internet for You” took place at uShaka Beach as a cooperation between Potthast, “Express Yourself/City” and the “uShaka Marine World” and the seaside at Durban Point. A digital stream of particles was projected on the sand to symbolize the online data send through the deep sea cable constantly. Cables like the one between Bremen and Durban reach a coast deeply buried under the sand. The installation made visible that the simple communication that is enabled by the internet is connected to gigantic infrastructure that most people do not think about.