Codes of Disobedience

 

Project Description:

Exhibition Dates: 5th- 25th of March 2011

Venue: Athens

Weblink: http://empedia.info/maps/41

“Codes of Disobedience & Disfunctionality” creates a trail with a difference and a new
narrative for the city of Athens and its contemporary transformations.

Workshop Conductor: Professor Martin Rieser

Interdisciplinary Workshop Team: Elena Antonopoulou, Efi Avrami, Nikos Belomatis, Darie
Budeanu, Dimitris Delinikolas, Eleni Giannari, Kyriaki Goni, Zaharias Ioannidis, Nikos
Kaimakamis, Aimilia Karamouzi, Achilleas Kentonis, Vaggelis Kolotsios, Lila Mastora,
Tatiana Mihailidou, Nickos Myrtou, Maria Papacharalambous, Dimitris Psychogios, Maria
Saridaki

Workshop Assistants: Phill Sparks, Empedia locative walk implementation Jackie Calderwood,
video development and user evaluations

Workshop Coordinators: Professor Michael Meimaris, Asst. Prof. Dimitris Charitos Workshop
Organiser and Curatorial Advisor: Daphne Dragona

Exhibition Organised by: National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in collaboration with
the University Research Institute of Applied Communication and the New Technologies Lab,
of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of
Athens.

In the context of the “Global Gateway” action and of the EU-funded program “Civil Society
Dialogue – Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture”

http://www.media.uoa.gr/hybridcity/

 

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QR Code Poster

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Map of annotated walk

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Juggler outside his shop

COD

Site of the death of Alexandros Grigoropoulos,

15-year-old Greek student,  killed by two policemen in 2008

Marxcola church2 church1

QR Stickers

“Codes of disobedience & dysfunctionality”

Inspired by the posters and the graffiti of the city and taking advantage of the possibilities given by mobile communication technologies (GPS, QR codes etc) and the internet, Martin Rieser and the workshop team aimed to connect the urban surroundings of Athens to opinions and statements of its inhabitants regarding the challenges imposed by the current social, political, and financial circumstances; Anger, disobedience, opposition, dysfunctionality.

The features of the contemporary metropolis in the midst of a period of crisis are the main focus of the project with tecchnology reconnecting the personal with the political in a contemporary metropolis.

The University Research Institute of Applied Communication (URIAC) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in collaboration with the Laboratory of New Technologies in Communication, Education and the Mass Media (UoA NTLab), organised from the 28th until the 4th of March 2011 the workshop “Codes of Disobedience & Dysfunctionality” led by the British artist Martin Rieser, in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of artists, researchers and postgraduate students, as part of the action “Global Gateway” and of the EU funded program “Civil Society Dialogue – Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture”.

The work that was created during the workshop was  presented at the premises National Museum of Contemporary Art, on the internet and in the center of the city (at Skoufa – Navarinou – Tzavela streets). From the 5th until the 25th of March the visitors to the museum and the inhabitants of Athens were invited to follow the project’s trail and discover the different parts of the project’s narration. Special QR codes were placed in selected locations of the city and by scanning them with a mobile phone, access to the audiovisual material created during the workshop was given. Combining elements of installation art, urban intervention, gaming and performance, “Codes of Disobedience & Dysfunctionality” reflected Rieser’s long term practice on art and technology.

The aim of the workshop was to study  elements of the urban environment of Athens and to form a new trail as a structure of narrative, thus enriching the city with interactive content that reflects its contemporary transformations. Inspired by the posters and the graffiti encountered in the city, and taking advantage of the possibilities given by mobile communication technologies (GPS, QR codes etc.) and the internet, the workshop aimed to connect the urban surroundings of Athens to opinions and statements of its inhabitants regarding the challenges imposed by current social, political, and financial circumstances; anger, disobedience, opposition and dysfunctionality. The features of the contemporary metropolis in the midst of a period of crisis was the main focus of the project, posing at the same time questions about the role and mediation of technology in urban everyday life. Could the new possibilities offered by technology really capture the needs and the atmosphere of a city like Athens? Could the  patterns and characteristics of urban life be identified when studying the use of these communication systems?

Trail From Parliament to Anarchy

Using personal video testimony from the local community, the trail revisits the dramatic events of 2009 and sharesopinions about the economic crisis.The trail follows a route from Kolinaki along Navarinou, with QR codes located on stickers and posters on shops and windows along the route. Scanning the QR codes triggers the audio commentary telling the local story of the breakdown of societal trust.

To follow the trail, iPhone users should download an app from Empedia, via www.empedia.info. You can then follow the trail, scanning the QR codes located along the street to release audio information. Android phone users can follow the trail without downloading the app, provided they have a QR  code reader downloaded on their phone. For iPhone users, information on the trail can also be triggered by GPS position if this facility is active on your phone.