Talk to Me es una de las exposiciones que se presentaba en el MOMA (también accesible online). Como recoge Rob Walker en este artículo, “no solamente destacar el alto nivel de imaginación del proyecto… Es ese tipo de imaginación que provoca, subertiva, emociona y hace cambiar la forma como el visitante piensa, no sólo sobre el futuro, sino también sobre el presente”.
Se trata de casi 200 objetos que van desde un cubo de rubick para personas ciegas, hasta el “escuchador de árboles“. Aquí algunos ejemplos:
Alex Metcalf’s Tree Listening installations reveal to us what happens inside a tree, where water and nutrients ascend from roots to leaves through a complex hydraulic system of xylem tubes in the trunk. To create a sensory glimpse into this system, Metcalf designed a listening device, powered by solar energy, that is placed on a tree trunk, linked to an amplifier, and connected to a series of headphones that hang from the branches of trees in various locations in London and around the United Kingdom. Through the headphones, passersby can listen to a tree’s inner workings—“a quiet popping sound,” Metcalf describes, produced by the water passing through the xylem cells, as well as “a deep rumbling sound” in the background, produced by the tree’s movements. Through the device, the tree bark is figuratively stripped away, revealing a unique soundscape that enhances our appreciation and understanding of trees. The installation joins science and art in a multilayered interaction with the natural world.



This online interface takes the philosophy of Twitter to a colorful platform for public discourse and citizen-led problem-solving. Short city- and issue-based prompts—for example, “What would encourage you to walk, bike and take public transportation more often?” or “What skills would you love to develop professionally or put to use?”—are periodically posted on the website, and visitors submit answers by phone or online. The resulting patchwork of ideas, appearing as a wall of digital Post-it notes, is then reviewed by community leaders, who can also respond to their favorite posts, and can be shared by other visitors. The interface becomes a live space for conversation, as well as connecting ideas with the people who can make them happen. Local Projects is a New York–based company specialized in interactive design of interfaces and experiences.

Tweenbots are small, constantly moving robots that depend on the kindness of strangers to get where they are going. Interaction designer Kacie Kinzer sent Sam, the best traveled of the Tweenbots, on many missions in New York City’s Washington Square Park, armed only with a flag that asked passersby to point him toward a particular destination. She fully expected that Sam—made of a battery-operated motor and cardboard—would be crushed, lost, or thrown away, but surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, depending on how helpful you believe New Yorkers to be) he always arrived safely at his destination.
Y así hasta 194 proyectos y objetos que como mínimo curiosos. Por desgracia, la exposición termina el 7 de noviembre de 2011, pero puedes ver la ficha, fotos y vídeos de los objetos en la web: http://moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/talktome/
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