Marc Lee
10'000 Moving Cities – Same but Different (AR), 2018 -
10 x 10 m | site specific
In this work the artist explores aspects of globalisation and urbanisation in the digital age. In recent years, increasing globalisation and digitalisation have led cities to become more and more similar. One reason is the emergence of so-called 'non-places'; a term coined by French anthropologist Marc Augé, that refers to spaces of transience without any true local identity such as motorways, shopping malls, hotel rooms or airports. The architecture and function of such non-places is similar all over the world, which leads to cities increasingly resembling each other.
With the augmented reality app '10.000 Moving Cities - Same but Different' one moves between the imaginary buildings using a tablet or smart phone and participates in real time digital communication streams and social movements by means of inserted Twitter posts. Buildings can be destroyed and rebuilt by the users. The more buildings disappear, the more creatures appear ... The digital content and the physical backdrop are both Zurich related, as only tweats within a 2000 meter radius around the gallery are streamed and the whole scenery unfolds itselfs in the gallery courtyard. In an immersive, playful and interactive manner the AR version of 10.000 Moving Cities brings to mind how places are constantly changing, language diversification, plant and animal species are diminishing and buildings, shopping malls and cities are taking over; accompanied by a growing resemblance and lack of true local identity.
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