"My name is Germaine Koh and I am an artist looking for volunteer participants for an art project running at Video Pool in Winnipeg from 17 October to 16 November.
The project “Call” makes telephone connections between strangers, as a sort of open-ended experiment in how anonymous individuals interact, and a means of making unexpected connections between real people, without pre-determined goals. It uses a telephone that I have modified so that it each time the handset is lifted, the phone randomly dials one of the project participants. The phone will be physically located in the lobby of Artspace at 100 Arthur Street, Winnipeg.
I am looking for volunteer participants in the Winnipeg area who are willing to receive phone calls on your own telephone during the exhibition, and (attempt to) have phone conversations with the stranger on the other end of the line. No particular skills, background or cultural knowledge are required – just a willingness to talk. You may speak whatever languages you can. Your conversations will not be monitored in any way, and your identity will be kept completely anonymous.
The phone will be in operation during gallery hours. Over the course of the exhibition, you will likely encounter a variety of people and personalities. Based on previous presentations and the number of volunteers involved, you will likely receive no more than a few phone calls per day. The amount of time you end up devoting to any conversation depends completely upon your own schedule and inclination, and if sometimes you are unavailable, you should not feel obligated to answer the phone.
The project has been presented a number of times: in 2006 at ISEA (International Symposium of Electronic Arts) in San Jose and in a solo exhibition of my work at the Ottawa Art Gallery; and in 2007 at MKG127 Gallery in Toronto. You can read more about the project and those previous presentation on my website at www.germainekoh.com/call.html.)
To participate or if you have further questions, please email me at website@germainekoh.com or call Video Pool at (204) 949-9134. For more about my work in general you can visit my website, www.germainekoh.com.
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Please post or pass on to anyone you know who might be interested. Thanks, Germaine
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