The Listening Post exhibition

  • Mark Hansen &
  • Ben Ruben

Flashing lights, computer-synthesized sound-bytes from the web, surround-sound music — is it art or technology? The installation at the Science Museum in London is both, and more. Listening Post is a collaboration between a professor of statistics, Mark Hansen, and media artist, Ben Ruben. They use a computer programme to trawl through the internet, culling words from live chatrooms, bulletin boards and so forth. The random, uncensored thoughts are processed through different filters and displayed, together with music and other sounds, on an array of two hundred small screens, through seven 'movements'.

Credit: SCIENCE MUSEUM, LONDON

As words scroll across the screens — usually far too fast for my visual bandwidth — I only catch the odd word. Other movements are slower and only a few screens are lit; for instance, there is the “I like” or “I love” theme: I like Pink Floyd; I like KFC chicken; I like movies; I love exs they just ruin your life; I love you to death. All the while, ambient music or keyboard tapping noises circle the room through eight speakers. A few movements later, “I am” came up — I am 28; I am 46; I am from Austria; I am not friggin' blind — I had gone full circle (I think).

Despite feeling overwhelmed by all the information, each bit presented with equal weighting, I started to see that it was all about connecting. Most of the words were related to relationships, health, money — just like 'normal', or dare I say, 'old-fashioned' conversations. These people are just reaching out. Of course, they don't know that halfway around the world I am standing there seeing their thoughts, out of context, but participating in a chatroom means that you expect an audience.

My exit from the museum was recorded by camera on a large screen. A sign next to the camera told me that the average Londoner is snapped by 300 cameras per day. Whether we like it or not, in this technological age, we all have an audience.

The Listening Post will appear next at the Reina Sophia in Madrid.