project background

Today many global corporations take advantage of marketing, labor and other cost savings measures by setting up their node-offices all over the world. This practice necessitates corporate representatives travel regularly between various locations of a corporate empire. Many jobs are less dependent now on any one location than the use of many locations conneted by intermodal transportation systems and internet. The lifestyle of constantly traveling business subjects is increasingly dependent upon transit spaces woven together as spaces for work using laptop or mobile office phone. As a result many economic and social aspects of business traveler`s everyday life are increasingly conducted `on the move` or away from `home` and in the `space of flow`.

In addition this mode of de-territorialization involves a progressively greater population and results in emergence of new socio-technical practices (eg. surveillance, social sorting, biometric authentication) influencing patterns of movements and co-presence within transportation systems. Transportation corridors are often considered as `non-place` of transitory nature, empty of any meaning and social sagnificance. These transitory spaces are also seen as logistic corridors of material movement channeling people and the flow of goods.

However recent social studies of mobility and current development of geolocated mobile technologies indicate that the space of constant mobility should not be considered independently from the people that inhabit them. Studies show that geolocated technologies augument the urban environment of their users with informational resources and therefore they are excellent tools to reshape the experience of mobility in urban settings.

Consequently the question is, if mediation of handheld devices converts transitory nature of constant mobility into creative experience itself?

What kinds of interaction supported by mobile technologies is most suitable for development of game content based on the geolocation principle for constant travelers?

In collaboration with HCI Research Team form Institute of Psychology, University of Basel I artist investigates the impact of physical and informational mobility of constant travelers on their perception and behaviour while traveling for business purposes.

What are the movement and interaction patterns of business travelers?
How do they utilize mobile devices in everyday business and leisure activities on the move?
How do business travelers perceive the space of flow during their everyday activities?
What kind of social and spatial relations do they experience?
How fast do they go through security and safety thresholds?
What kind of emotions/reactions are connected to border-crossing procedures and biometric authentification?
What is the impact do new socio-technical practices have on their life?