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An art installation and participatory experience at the Whoo Space in Northampton that took place from May 2-13th, 2012. Community members of Northampton and the greater Pioneer Valley were invited to take part in a social experiment. I presented handcrafted walkie-talkies, cast in hydrocal and hand painted, a varied edition of 100 objects in total. There were 50 pairs, each a unique combination of color, shape and style. Each piece had a twin, reflecting the two-way nature of walkie-talkies. For $20 you could purchase a piece if you agreed to participate in a platonic matchmaking project. Over the twelve-day duration of the show each walkie-talkie owner was scheduled to rendezvous at the gallery with the owner of the matching walkie-talkie. At this point participants could retrieve their purchases while taking part in a face-to-face conversation with their partner over free coffee or tea.
In a world powered by technology- the Internet, Facebook, smartphones, video chatting and online dating, WITHIN RANGE was a unique opportunity to have a tech-free human encounter with another person regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, social status or romantic intent. The cast walkie-talkie, although non-functional, is meant to act as a memorable symbol of each encounter, adding a personal and symbolic feature to owner a work of art.
Within Range was supported in part by a grant from Northampton Arts Council, Inc. and was sponsored by Yes Exactly Web Design.
see more here: Within Range (pairs)