project description

With . walk socialfiction.org is combining the ancient with the modern, the mundane with the exceptional. Starting with walks based on algorithms (like second left, first right, third right, repeat), under the header generative psychogeography, gradually the project moved on into the conceptual collision of the digital with the absurd.

Generative psychogeography borrowed many ideas from the computer science gimmick the Game Of Life. Not many poeple realise that this funny but influential tool is actually capable of doing computations. So why not program a pedestrian computer, on which the software is run (or rather walked) on top of the city.

archive.transmediale.de/04/page/detail/detail.0.projects.41.html (transmediale website archive)

related text

Generative psychogeography, walking on algorithms as a means to explore the city, translates ideas from computer science to the real world. The next logical challenge was to start utilising the latent power of these algorithms in a scheme much more complex: the construction of a UPC (Universal Psychogeographical Computer).

This peripatetic computer is platform independent & can put any street-pattern to work as a switchboard or an abacus. The UPC is operated unconsciously by interacting swarms of psychogeographical agents. In theory, the UPC is able to do anything a normal computer does, artificial intelligence included.
.walk is vigilantly open source. (socialfiction.org website, 2004)

related links

project site: socialfiction.org (currently not available)

programming .walk for dummies:
cryptoforest.blogspot.com/2010/11/technology-will-find-uses-for-street-on.html

image credits

[01] - [04] Wilfried Hou Je Be/socialfiction.org: .walk, Berlin walk, photos: Stefanie Pluta
[05] Wilfried Hou Je Bek/socialfiction.org: .walk, Berlin walk, walkion
[06] Pacman