by Rejane Spitz

The idea for the installation was to weave a tapestry of images, sounds and ideas to dispel the notion that the internet alone would bring progress, a better quality of life and greater democracy. The installation intends to illustrate the digital divide.

For the project I interviewed 120 people from professionals to the poor living in the shanty towns of Rio de Janeiro. In the installation you start by walking along a black corridor flanked by piles of the shoes. As you walk your feet you trigger sound bites from the interviews by activating I-CubeX TapTiles. Eventually, you arrive at an inner sanctum with a giant screen where you can call up pictures of the interviewees and hear their original interviews in Portuguese, along with on-screen transcripts.

"Netizens, net-fringers and outsiders", was exhibited at the N-Space Art Gallery at SIGGRAPH 2001. See also the write up in the BBC News Sci/Tech section. You can also listen to an interview with Rejane online (as part of the Go Digital new BBC programme).

3 september 2001