Comments on: Parasitic Subway Projector

Parasitic Subway Projector

aladfar — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 07:45:10 -0800

Parasitic Subway Projector: High concept German art students cram a Mac mini and a projector into a suitcase and mount it to the side of a subway car with suction cups. The resulting images, projected onto the tunnel walls, make for a fascinating work of public art. [QuickTime] Link via: The Unofficial Mac Weblog

By: aladfar

aladfar — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 07:47:45 -0800

Of course, attempting something like this here in the States might well result in a long stay with Homeland Security.

By: uncle harold

uncle harold — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 07:51:13 -0800

... or get you shot. Attaching a suitcase to the outside of the train will probably count as an imminent threat...

By: uncle harold

uncle harold — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 07:56:04 -0800

Apart from that: really nice concept. Reminds me of a similar, but low-tech, installation in Bochum, Germany in the late nineties (sorry, no link). They fixed full size posters along the tunnel walls, which would act as a flip book when the train would travel at full speed. They had only short strips in the middle of the tunnels, so now and again you would see a guy jogging outside the train, or a fish swimming along.

By: kingfisher, his musclebound cat

kingfisher, his musclebound cat — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 07:57:00 -0800

The idea and imagery are wonderful. But watching someone attach a large metal suitcase to a subway in front of other commuters who didn't care was surreal in itself. It also makes me wonder, is disappearing a German artist to CIA black camp art, too? Or at least a good basis for a new Hogan's Heroes type of sitcom?

By: matty

matty — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 07:59:30 -0800

Aside from the slightly unnerving terrorism angle - WAY COOL! Pepsi, Nike, Coca-Cola, and infomercials can't be too far off!! Maybe subway porn??

By: argybarg

argybarg — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:02:46 -0800

Now what would be interesting, uncle harold, would be if they had a similar arrangement with photos on the tunnel, but variably-timed strobes would activate different threads within the sequences. Or different windows would show you different sequences. BTW, perhaps dressing as such a ridiculously cliched German Art Student helped people assume he wasn't a terrorist.

By: Popular Ethics

Popular Ethics — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:04:26 -0800

Gorgeous, and ballsy (reckless?) as all hell. How long before advertisers use this to force more commercials into my day?

By: Popular Ethics

Popular Ethics — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:07:50 -0800

Also I really wish I had the funds to risk losing 3000 euro worth of equipment in a subway tunnel.

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:12:46 -0800

I've always wanted to mount a projector on a car and drive cross country watching movies on the backs of trucks. The PATH train from New York to Jersey has a series of lenticular panels mounted in the tunnel that each animate part of a film, and sequentially stitch together to create a moving image screen that seems to follow along with the train. (It's a car commercial.)

By: anastasiav

anastasiav — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:37:45 -0800

Also, the movie is very well put together.... Nice Post.

By: insomnia_lj

insomnia_lj — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:39:40 -0800

It must be nice to live in Germany and not get shot for doing a cool, artistic thing.

By: crantangelo

crantangelo — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 08:57:15 -0800

Gorgeous, and ballsy (reckless?) as all hell. How long before advertisers use this to force more commercials into my day? Had the rare occasion to ride the bus here in L.A. a few weeks back (car troubles)... and was shocked to find they'd installed video screens. I've seen that elsehwere but the difference was that scattered among nice things like history trivia games and famous quotations were corporate ads... played LOUD. People actually cleared out of their seats to avoid being in the speaker path of the things, and it takes a lot to get a busgoer to voluntarily give up a precious seat. Really love this video. Curious that the first thing that occurred to me -- as with everyone else, apprently -- was the "can't believe they got away with it" post-9/11 thing. It really is a tough time for those who want to want to do cool things.

By: syzygy

syzygy — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 09:01:01 -0800

uncle harold: They fixed full size posters along the tunnel walls, which would act as a flip book when the train would travel at full speed. Very cool. I was looking at the black tunnel walls in the Vienna subway system two days ago and had the exact same "flip book" idea.

By: klaatu

klaatu — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 09:07:19 -0800

Didn't I see Bruce Willis trash one of these projectors in a film once?

By: rongorongo

rongorongo — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 09:35:36 -0800

I must admit being a bit surprised that they could fit a computer, a projector and the power source for both in a small suitcase.

By: atomicmedia

atomicmedia — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 09:46:54 -0800

Willy Wonka anyone?

By: lunalaguna

lunalaguna — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 09:49:35 -0800

Advertisers already do this. I saw a Honda ad using this concept in Chicago early last month. I've been told that Nike has had ads as well.

By: Foosnark

Foosnark — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 09:58:11 -0800

Also I really wish I had the funds to risk losing 3000 euro worth of equipment in a subway tunnel. I just wouldn't trust suction cups that much, when they can't even reliably hold up a shaving mirror.

By: A dead Quaker

A dead Quaker — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:01:17 -0800

I've seen flip-book-style ads a couple times on the T going from Harvard to Central Square, the first a couple years ago. One was for Target. It was annoyingly cheery.

By: Artifice_Eternity

Artifice_Eternity — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:24:15 -0800

Also I really wish I had the funds to risk losing 3000 euro worth of equipment in a subway tunnel. I'm really looking forward to this.

By: sindark

sindark — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:37:42 -0800

What I wonder is how he managed to remove the briefcase from the side of the train as quickly as depicted in the time-lapse sequence at the end.

By: thanatogenous

thanatogenous — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:41:27 -0800

Didn't I see Bruce Willis trash one of these projectors in a film once? Yeah, him and Sam Jackson are really anti-public art. Oh, and anti-German.

By: josephtate

josephtate — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:50:28 -0800

very, very cool.

By: Jesse H Christ

Jesse H Christ — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:55:58 -0800

Chicago's el (the subway parts) have the flipbooks too. The first time I saw one I thought I was losing my mind. VERY confusing. Also--I noticed that the window on the subway car is open which seems really strange to me. I think subway cars should be as sealed as possible to keep out all the weird badness of the tunnels and stations.

By: Busithoth

Busithoth — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 11:00:36 -0800

nice idea and execution. and I also love how fearmongering we are. while I sure as hell would ask someone what the frak they're doing affixing a box to the side of my train, that's not been the M.O. of a terrorist.

By: tomplus2

tomplus2 — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 11:07:26 -0800

should have used any handheld video player with video out. MUCH smaller. ...still, cool imagery.

By: robla

robla — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 11:51:11 -0800

while I sure as hell would ask someone what the frak they're doing affixing a box to the side of my train, that's not been the M.O. of a terrorist. Flying jumbo jets into the sides of buildings didn't used to be the M.O. of hijackers either. I wonder how many people actually asked what the heck that they were up to, rather than merely casting them a suspicious glance. There's nothing wrong with a little engagement of your fellow human beings, even if there's a kernel of fear motivating it.

By: movilla

movilla — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 12:25:28 -0800

I've seen those suction cup handles in work and they're extremely strong. Check out this site and you'll see the model he used can hold up to 66lb. A flip switch quickly attaches and detaches hence the ease to remove the case from the train.

By: Jack Karaoke

Jack Karaoke — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 12:57:16 -0800

If you're short a suitcase and suction thingy, you could always toss everything in a backpack, and just press the projector up against the window. I imagine it would look ok, even with some reflection.

By: nola

nola — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:16:40 -0800

what uncle harold said.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:17:05 -0800

They fixed full size posters along the tunnel walls, which would act as a flip book when the train would travel at full speed. Apparently hey're planning on doing something like that for the BART system. I read this a while back but haven't heard anything since...

By: funambulist

funambulist — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:19:16 -0800

while I sure as hell would ask someone what the frak they're doing affixing a box to the side of my train, that's not been the M.O. of a terrorist. Heh, that's what I thought too. But I'm amazed no one thought that the reason they "got away with this" is because they did in fact get permission to do it. I don't see how else it would have been possible.

By: uncle harold

uncle harold — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:22:23 -0800

Duh. funambulist wins.

By: bingo

bingo — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:52:43 -0800

There's no way they got permission to do it. Where were the cops and metro officials standing by to supervise? Why did they have to radio ahead to let the pickup guy know that the box was about to reach him, and why did he exit the station immediately upon removing it? And why were both the placement and removal of the box done so quickly and gracefully?

By: jmccorm

jmccorm — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 13:57:46 -0800

It is interesting. But I think the music makes it more interesting.

By: IshmaelGraves

IshmaelGraves — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 14:13:30 -0800

The obvious reason why no one said anything is that — as evidenced by the fact that there is a picture and film on the Internet — someone or many other someones were standing nearby filming.

By: Busithoth

Busithoth — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 15:05:45 -0800

And why were both the placement and removal of the box done so quickly and gracefully? Well, it was on a train, at pause in a station, but soon enough departing. As for the graceful part, eye of the beholder, I suppose. Robla, you're wrong about the aircraft missle. Project Bojinka, anyone? The idea also occured to Bush and Co., while in Italy, when a threat came of crashing an airliner into the meeting. I'm also not saying I'd take solace in M.O. predictability.

By: ParisParamus

ParisParamus — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 15:42:19 -0800

That is so damn cool. Thank you for this post. I would love to see something like this done in NYC (with permission, of course of the authorities, at least so no one gets arrested). That one thing I don't quite get: how visible can this be from inside a bright subway car?

By: funambulist

funambulist — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 15:43:19 -0800

bingo, it's not a secret operation, it's a nice fun project done by art students in a class in a Berlin university, I don't see how the subway company could be against that. There's no need for cops standing nearby but that doesn't mean the students didn't notify the subway company and get permission (and probably get the suitcases inspected by their own staff beforehand too). Someone attaching a metal suitcase to the carriage, do you think staff or security cameras would not have spotted that? If they had just improvised it without telling anyone, they would have likely risked getting in trouble afterwards, and their university too. Just guessing, of course, I can't know for sure, but this is a university project, not graffiti, it doesn't look like subversiveness and getting arrested was part of the plan. If it had been, they would have made a point of showing that too. Why the quick removal? because a subway stop is quick!

By: scheptech

scheptech — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 15:49:56 -0800

Nice post, thanks. I bet IshmaelGraves has it, with a photographer there making a show of recording events it might look like they were making a commercial or something. I like how the black&white wall imagery is intercut with color shots of people inside viewing the outside and the icy demons' work seems a great choice as well.

By: mecran01

mecran01 — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 16:06:21 -0800

I think those are industrial window washer suction cups.

By: flowfeel

flowfeel — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 16:15:16 -0800

Very dope indeed. I was wondering where Honda was doing that in Chicago LunaLuagna? Never heard of that. I think it could be neat to do on a side of a car and then drive around some warehouse district or something!

By: mr.marx

mr.marx — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 16:28:03 -0800

yes, very sweet stuff, thanks!

By: Mid

Mid — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 16:39:47 -0800

I first thought maybe they got permission, also. But then I thought -- there's really no way the subway authority would give permission. If the suction failed, you'd have a pretty big hunk of metal on the tracks. I know the chances of anything bad happening are low, but, still, I don't think the subway authority would take a risk like that. And it's not like the German infrastructre authorities are known for their free-wheeling ways.

By: gorgor_balabala

gorgor_balabala — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 17:04:18 -0800

what Mid said. It doesn't add up, given that they are students. It would take some SERIOUS backing to get subway officials to go along with it, even in volksland.

By: bingo

bingo — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 17:28:37 -0800

If they had just improvised it without telling anyone, they would have likely risked getting in trouble afterwards, and their university too. Yeah, well, that's the way of such things. Art students who have an idea like 'let's mount a projector on the side of the subway' are usually more interested in making it happen than getting permission, and those are often mutually exclusive categories. If you ask, you give the authority a chance to say no, and then they'll watch you, and then if you do it anyway, it's twice as bad. ...it's a nice fun project done by art students in a class in a Berlin university, I don't see how the subway company could be against that. The 'subway company,' which is probably owned by the goverment, has no reason to give a shit about some university art project. If they are like most other public transit authorities, they probably put a lot of effort into maintaining their image already, and they don't need to mess with an event that could a) freak people out b) cause damage, c) set a precedent for people attaching stuff to the subway. In New York, as others have said, you would definitely be shot trying to do this; asking for permission to do it would probably get you investigated. Berlin is not New York, but all major cities have got to be a bit touchy about the subways these days. ...this is a university project, not graffiti, it doesn't look like subversiveness and getting arrested was part of the plan. If it had been, they would have made a point of showing that too. The fact (if it is a fact; I think it is) of the act being illegal, or at least being unapproved, does not mean that the participants wanted to get arrested. Yes, they posted it online, and in theory the cops could now bust down their doors, but once you have safely accomplished an arguably illegal act and are getting accolades for it, the police are not as motivated to pursue you as they are if they catch you in the act itself. I'm not disparaging the experiment, BTW; I think it's very cool.

By: gorgor_balabala

gorgor_balabala — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 17:37:28 -0800

bingo, i don't think anyone was worried about what would happen to them after they'd got away with it and put it online.

By: cgs

cgs — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 17:59:45 -0800

"yah, conductor? just wondering... did you see a guy attaching a giant metal case to the side of the train, and then walking away?" i like pranksterism and public art, but not when the delight/disregard ratio is skewed so far as to make people fear for their lives...

By: crunchland

crunchland — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 18:14:20 -0800

Good thing we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave, huh?

By: Popular Ethics

Popular Ethics — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 19:17:31 -0800

I also doubt they asked permission. I'll bet they thought the risk gave them an opportunity to make a social statement about public paranoia. Having seen this beautiful installation, you must question your first reaction that anything some stranger attaches to a train must be a bomb. You exit trusting people more. That said, I don't think they were very successful in making me second guess myself. I'm a HUGE opponent of manufactured fear and false "security measures", but even I think this was unnescessarily creepy.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 19:27:48 -0800

I'd personally be worried that the suitcase would be swiped off by a support beam somewhere down the line. Some spots are pretty tight for those trains - I wouldn't trust sticking something that bulky on the side. Other than that - it was awesome.

By: funambulist

funambulist — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 19:43:55 -0800

Ok bingo, you may be right, I really don't know, but I still say they got permission. Anyway, I've emailed the question to the students, so, if they reply, the mystery will be solved. Want to place a bet? How do virtual bets work?

By: funambulist

funambulist — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 19:55:50 -0800

I'm a HUGE opponent of manufactured fear and false "security measures", but even I think this was unnescessarily creepy. See, if others here had not pointed that out, I wouldn't even have thought about that looking like something scary. I mean, come on, attaching a shiny suitcase to the carriage side in front of everyone, with another guy filming the scene right there, rather than easily and quietly leaving it inside the carriage without even being noticed. I don't see how anyone could think it was a bomb. They most likely thought "wtf is that guy doing? and why are they filming it? and oh what will they think of next!".

By: Popular Ethics

Popular Ethics — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 21:15:00 -0800

funambulist: I sincerely wish that were my first reaction too. I hate that I'm trusting people less as I age. Maybe I was too hasty evaluating that aspect of this project.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 21:28:23 -0800

The guy totally looks like Deiter, from those old SNL skits with mike Myers. Also, the terrorism angle didn't even enter my mind until I read this thread.

By: jmccorm

jmccorm — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 22:41:34 -0800

Next up.... people attaching threatening sounds to the exterior of trains, and filming the art response from the inside!

By: graventy

graventy — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:16:44 -0800

Willy Wonka anyone? That was my thought exactly. That would just wig the shit out of people (uh...who've seen the original movie.) Even moreso if the conductor started singing. "We don't know where we're going...or where the river's flowing..." Sweetness.

By: ParisParamus

ParisParamus — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:39:17 -0800

"Willy Wonka anyone?" Is this a reference to the new WW, or the original?

By: Ogre Lawless

Ogre Lawless — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 14:49:21 -0800

Is this an actual project, or just a grand visualization of what such a project would look like? I mean, yes, I saw the comprised-of-mostly-stills movie, but it was rather inconclusive. Like, where -are- those suction cups we're all discussing? Certainly that would go a long way to explain the "lets put a bomblookingthing on the side of the carriage as it takes off". I'd first seen this hooked over at WMMNA and figured it was like a lot of the other design stuff there and just high-concept.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 17:10:02 -0800

The original, Paris. I don't think the new one had the scary tunnel ride on the paddleboat.

By: I Love Tacos

I Love Tacos — Sun, 27 Nov 2005 22:06:50 -0800

I don't think you'd get shot for doing this in New York. I'd recommend disguising yourselves as a group of young drunk filmmakers, and attaching it to the 3 or 5 at 138th or the J or Z somewhere just shy of Jamaica Center, at about 3am. Put it on the back car, and have a "receiving" group to snag it, a few stops down.