work | research | art | press | about
workshop
datenspiel|covert computing
athens, 19-22 may 2013
participation in a 4-day workshop, presented by artist Julian Oliver, part of the Datenspiel* event, a cluster of workshops about networks, data and their invisible flows for the city of Athens
the workshop explored methods and materials for building and powering hidden networks and communication infrastructure using tiny inexpensive computers and found ubiquitous objects. Participants in the workshop learned how to turn harmless looking objects into powerful devices that can capture data and route traffic. These devices are proposed as alternatives to privatised infrastructure and technologies, increasingly used to both study and govern us
in the above context, "sex in progress", a lamp-covert wi-fi network, was produced by Kalina Ntampiza during the workshop
a simple, battery powered table lamp, was turned into a covert, free wi-fi hotspot. Pressing the button turned on the light and activated the wi-fi network hidden inside the lamp's structure. Unsuspecting users within the transmission range would connect to the free unlocked network, only to be redirected in a page created by the artist. In this case, the page was streaming music intended for "love-making" occasions and featuring a free chat box function
view the workshop's Flickr photostream here
view a video about the workshop on VIMEO here
the workshop was curated by Daphne Dragona, organized by Goethe-Institut Athen in collaboration with Frown creative platform, and the support of University Research Institute of Applied Communication (U.R.I.A.C.) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
*Datenspiel was a parallel event of the international conference Hybrid City II – subtle rEvolutions