October 27, 2004
The Wild is Calling
Call of the Wild
A project by Amos Latteier, Call of the Wild " is a series of audio tours of downtown Portland that are accessed by cell phone. The tours focus on plants and animals in downtown, contrasting them to their human cohabitants. Using natural history, philosophy, and humor the tours reveal urban biological systems that we see everyday but seldom notice.
Urban ecosystems demonstrate how technology and the urban environment mediate nature. Starlings, pigeons, and moss show us how to adapt, survive, and flourish in changing and artificial surroundings. Call of the Wild examines urban wildlife with an eye to the lessons it can teach us about our own technologically mediated lives.
Cell phones provide a unique, practical, and fun venue for conducting audio tours. Cell phones are already an integral part of the urban environment, and using them for audio tours transforms a device that normally removes people from the environment into one that help focus attention on it."
A wonderful concept, and an effective example of the possibilities for creative content delivered to the public via cellphones. (Posted by Michelle Kasprzak)
Posted by at October 27, 2004 01:26 AM
Comments
Cool project - too bad no audio samples on-line! Other mobile phone walking tours can be found around the world can be found at http://www.wirelesswalks.com
Posted by: stefan at December 18, 2004 03:28 AM
