In search of a Public Voice

Context of the site

- Surrounded by important points of interest including; Gough Square, Dr Johnson’s House, The Fleet Street Conservation Area, Holborn Circus and network of alleyways that characterise the area

Dr Johnson’s House

-       One of the few residential houses of its age still surviving in the City of London

-       Johnson lived in the house 1948 – 1959 and compiled his famous “A Dictionary of the English Language’

-       Was a home and workplace for Samuel Johnson

-       Now restored to its original condition containing panelled rooms, pine staircase, period furniture, prints and portraits

-       Is found among a maze of courtyards and passages that are a reminder of historic London

-       The house figures prominently in the 1946 Sherlock Holmes film “Dressed to Kill”

Troika SMS Guerilla Projector

-       A home made device that enables a user to project text based SMS messages onto public spaces, in streets, onto people, inside cinemas, shops, houses etc.

-       Display messages

-       Share reflections

-       During a “Streets” concert

-       Relaying a message and seeing the public react

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Greyworld

-       Collective of London based artists who are interested in public-activated art, sculpture and interactive installations

-       “The Source” (2004) is their most celebrated piece so far – a permanent installation for the new London Stock Exchange

-       A cube of 9x9x9 spherical balls are suspended on cables

-       Controlled by a computer running Python scripts which can move themselves independently of each other, forming dynamic shapes and motions

-       Throughout the day the sculpture responds to news feeds, displaying snap shots of the current headlines