Giant interactive Advent Calendar December 22, 2008

While some towns just use Christmas lights and a tree to signal the festive season, other artists are electrifying their cities in a different way altogether. This year, Federation Square in Melbourne has a giant interactive advents calendar on its outdoor screen making it a public christmas event. At 9pm (AEST) each day, a free performance is celebrated at Federation Square, during which a new window is unveiled on the advents calendar. Audiences from all over the world can follow the performances on FedCam. The "Bladerunner" vision of the future, of cities pulsating with giant billboards, is closer than we think. But luckily, in real world, not all the oversized images we see are there to sell something. There is a growing acceptance of video art in public space. And it has a neon glow. Some artists make their work specifically for the urban sphere. Video artist Krzysztof Wodiczko projects moving images directly onto monuments and buildings, often evoking powerful meanings from within their walls. In Berlin, the recent Media Facades Festival took over the LED screens usually used for advertising and blasted unsuspecting passers-by with non-commercial content. Urban Screens is another organization that highlights the creative work being done on a large scale and on public view. The works they have shown include interactive video pieces, such as the fantastic SEED project, where the audience was able to grow virtual plants on the screen by dialing a number on their mobile phones! When technology and architecture meet, the city really can come alive. Watch this video for another example of the magic that can happen when video artists use the city as their canvas - Light Up Bristol! Related Links Federation Square