In this project I strive to find a way to represent the immense variety of media and news sources that exist online by means of a physical objects. The chosen objects, the Tibetan prayer wheels, react to world events using images received through different web RSS feed. Each of the seven wheels controls the visuals of news images coming from different continents. The images are projected above the wheels in a horizontal strip, and updated as the wheels are turned. The different images fade in and out as the wheel turns faster or slows to a halt.

In creating this piece I was interested to explore the dissonance and harmony in the contrasts between different sources of online information. I was interested to explore the potential for a object which would highlight different perspectives when dealing with world events. Representing the immense variety of media and news that are placed online within a physical object is somewhat of an impossible task. When abstracted, it is much easier for viewers to react to the data. That is precisely why I chose to display only images, and not text. The shape and structure of the wheels complement the underlying concept - to highlight contrasts and different perspectives.

The following image is made up of pictures displayed in different news sources at the same time of day. When placed together they form somewhat of a narrative and present the viewer with diverse perspectives.

presented:

ITP 2006 Fall Show

in collaboration with:

ariel efron

Prayer Wheels can be spotted all across the Tibetan plateau well into Mainland China, Nepal and India. They usually hold the mantra ohm mane padme ohm inscribed onto them, and it is believed that once turned, the prayer is initiated. They usually surround monasteries and other places of worship, and it is the duty of the townspeople to walk around the monasteries (clockwise), turning every prayer wheel on their way, releasing as many prayers as they can. This ritual is done twice a day: at sunrise and sunset. Reading or watching the news every morning and evening is analogous to this action, only with the current day state of the media, it is difficult to stay hopeful. This dissonance highlights the main essence on which the World News Wheels are constructed.

The wheels have their own "emotional" characteristic, reacting to user interaction according to the parsed RSS feeds of the initially chosen websites. Each of the seven wheels represents news coming from a different continent, therefore reacting to specifically assigned RSS feeds from multiple websites. When turned by users, projections of the latest images from feeds fade in above the wheels. As the wheels slows down to a halt, the image above it fades back out. Every time a wheel is spun, the following sound is heard.

The wheels are made out of foamboard, mounted on a wooden spindle base. They are covered with engraved copper sheets. Photo depicting the world map and the well known Tibetan mantra - ohm mane padme ohm. Photo seensors acts a switching mechanism, placed under each wheel. When connected to a PIC chip, it is possible to analyze the wheel's position - if turning or not. The PIC communicates with a custom written processing patch, which controls the projected visuals and playing sounds.