Re: [-empyre-] the drone of metaphor and representation

["ricardo miranda zuniga" <ricardo@ambriente.com>]

>i wonder about the need for "realization" of the technology in all cases.

I'm entirely in agreement with this and I recall as well the first time
I saw cybraceros and thinking just that - "no way, what am I seeing!?" 
And I agree that actual realization isn't necessary to have an effect. 
Perhaps due to my familiarity with LowDrone I failed to reach that
moment of suspension of disbelief.  

That said, I still think that a public staging of LowDrone would not
only be a good deal of fun, but would also lead to some interesting
dialogue.  

While I attended the opening events of inSite and and stood near the
border fence in Playas, Tijuana, (where LowDrone was flown), a marine on
the other side of the border approached our group to see if there was a
paletero(icee cart) near by that we could call over for him.  One person
in our group went on to have a friendly discussion with the marine as
she asked him if such an exchange would be appropriate ...  This was a
moment when Gatekeeper (the military name for the San Diego/Tijuana
section of the border) was humanized.

At that moment it was apparent that the marines posted at the border
were bored and hot, not only wanting an icee but also to chat.  I wonder
what sort of exchange would go on, if the guards were to play along with
LowDrone for a little while and what sort of exchange would occur
between the young marines and any LowDrone participants?

ricardo

p.s. a quick reminder that next weekend is the DC March and Rally:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

> > As it stands the project exists in the realm of metaphor and
> > representation.  I think it would be great to extend it beyond that
> > space either through tele-performance which is suggested by the
> > interaction presented on the website, or to enact a series of
> > performances in which a spontaneous audience might be allowed to 
> > control
> > the LowDrone.  This might be something similar to the Institute for
> > Applied Autonomy's graffiti writer in which pedestrians could write
> > their own messages using the remotely controlled graffiti vehicle and
> > therefore enacting a form of civil disobedience.
> > ricardo
> 
> i also found the Low Drone extremely funny and a challenging idea. i 
> wonder about the desire to enact a functional tactical media in this 
> case however... not because i don't find the IAA's work (and other 
> similar efforts) critically effective and interesting, but i wonder 
> about the need for "realization" of the technology in all cases. i 
> think of Alex Rivera's other well known project (were you part of this 
> too Angel?), the Cybracero http://www.cybracero.com/ . and also some of 
> the actions of other tactical media practitioners like the Yes Men. The 
> impact of cybracero for me was that it didn't require any technological 
> spectacle to create the suspension of disbelief. the theatrical (and 
> tactical) moment came out in the form of a believing disbelief... 
> "What? are you kidding me?!" predicated on an acceptance of it as 
> somehow real in the face of apparent unlikelihood. maybe this goes back 
> to our discussions about the network and locality.
> the audience is one predicated on a certain distance - a mediated 
> distance - from the site of supposed contact. we can fall for the 
> cybracero hoax because we're already so disconnected from the realities 
> of food production (and by direct connection, the physical sites of 
> production). but it reveals that distance (between audience and 
> site/prodcution) once it's revealed as a hoax - which depends on the 
> practice of a media bound by principles of fact checking and 'truth.'
> i'm not saying that technological manifestations of tactical media 
> aren't great and useful, but that it can also include mechanisms that 
> play on our desires/beliefs about 'functionality' from a critical 
> perspective.
> just a thought...
> best - ryan
> 
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ricardo miranda zuñiga
www.ambriente.com