#shared studios

[design-law]

Issued this week to Shared Space Studios LLC—D890,710, for a “Modular Video Wall.”

[frenchfryofficial]

*coyle plays competition music in the other studio* Me: *has war flashbacks from when I competed*

[thesisetc]

“Portals are gold shipping containers with immersive audio and video technology inside. When you enter one, you come face-to-face with someone in the other container, full-body, and the two of you converse live as if in the same room. Since December 2014, Shared_Studios has connected more than two thousand people in Herat, Afghanistan; Tehran, Iran; New York, New Haven and Washington D.C. in private, 20-minute conversations about “What would make today a good day for you?" Participants came out giddy, weeping, and everything in between.”

[vectorinfo]

New Post has been published on Pleaseblogin.com - SEO, Tech, The Net

New Post has been published on http://pleaseblogin.com/2015/06/06/container-portal-world-internet/

Container Portal to another world via internet

Washington (AFP) - Step inside a gold-painted shipping container in downtown Washington, midway between the White House and the Capitol, and, for 20 minutes, you can make a new friend in Afghanistan, Cuba or Iran.

"What would make today a good day for you?" is the ice-breaking question that visitors to the Portals project are invited to use to strike up a transnational conversation via a sometimes shaky Internet video link.

Situated in the Ronald Reagan Building's Woodrow Wilson Plaza off Pennsylvania Avenue, Portals encourages one-on-one contact between typical Americans and folks in Herat, Havana and Tehran.

"Now I have a friend in Cuba and he has a friend in the United States," said Niloofar Jebelli, 23, as she emerged Friday from her virtual meet-up with a counterpart in Havana.

"This was amazing because I don't know anyone from Cuba who is in Cuba now," the graduate student and Portals volunteer from Maryland told AFP. "I'm so happy this is happening."

Portals creator Amar Bakshi launched the project last year with an impressive $60,000 raised through a Kickstarter crowdfunding appeal.

Make friends in Cuba using a shipping container (AFP Photo/Yamil Lage)

His goal is to have gilded 20-foot shipping containers everywhere, harnessing real-time Internet video technology to help strangers in two distant places to become acquaintances.

"When you enter one, you feel as though you are in the same room as someone in another container," said Bakshi, whose diverse CV includes stints in journalism, law school and the Obama administration.

- Community center -

"The goal is to place these all over the world and sort of build the community center of the 21st century," he told AFP.

The Washington container debuted at George Washington University in April, with its counterpart set up at Hariwa University in Afghanistan's third-largest city.

In lieu of containers, participants in Havana and Tehran currently step into video chat boxes in a hotel and an art gallery respectively.

Setting up in Havana was particularly challenging because of Cuba's sore lack of video-capable bandwidth, said Michelle Moghtader, another member of the Portals team.

"It's just hard to find reliable Internet" on the Communist-ruled Caribbean island that the United States is only now starting to re-establish diplomatic relations with, she told AFP.

And in security-obsessed Washington, Bakshi said the container had to be screened for explosives before it could open its doors in a courtyard surrounded by federal government offices and a farmers' market.

Over the ether from Tehran, 24-year-old photographer Mahsa Biglow said Friday that Portals has made her see how the US media has shaped Americans' frequently negative image of her country.

"I found that American people .... don't know anything about Iran," she told AFP after concluding a live-stream chat. "It opens their eyes, I guess."

Portals remains open at its current Washington location until June 21. Would-be participants can reserve a time slot at www.sharedstudios.com, which also has instructions for building your own Portal.

"The Portal will continue in (Washington) D.C. after June 22," states the website. "We're just not sure where yet!"

http://news.yahoo.com/golden-shipping-container-transports-americans-parts-unknown-091134691.html

http://www.sharedstudios.com

[vectorinfotech-blog]

Container Portal to another world via internet

Container Portal to another world via internet

Washington (AFP) – Step inside a gold-painted shipping container in downtown Washington, midway between the White House and the Capitol, and, for 20 minutes, you can make a new friend in Afghanistan, Cuba or Iran.

“What would make today a good day for you?” is the ice-breaking question that visitors to the Portals project are invited to use to strike up a transnational conversation via a…

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[artlog]

Portals

Don’t be alarmed by the large shipping container sitting inside Lu Magnus Gallery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. This gold structure is meant to fill their space, command attention, and incite questions. Installed for two weeks as part of the project Shared Studios,inside that container are foreigners, strangers, and curious people.

Shared Studiosis an early stage initiative conceived by Amar C. Bakshi that aims to connect people through Portals. These portals act as a gateway to another country – in the case of Lu Magnus Gallery, Tehran. After making a reservation, visitors are invited to step inside the box and have a live Skype session with individuals in Tehran, Iran who are at M-40 Studio.

Morgan Spurlock, right, gives one of Portals' shipping containers a test run. (Image Via Vulture)

While this iteration only lasts two weeks, Shared Studios has big plans. Envisioning these Portals as a global public art project, Bakshi aims to forge cross-cultural connections and introduce people to alternate realities. Originally conceived as an outdoor project, Bakshi sees these Portals, or gold shipping containers, outside in public areas throughout various cities and countries.

Bakshi told T Magazine, “The idea is to create a global network of these publicly accessible one-on-one booths. It’ll be an exciting cultural moment to have these big things in public squares.”

The outdoor, public element will add a dimension of discovery and surprise to these experiences, which will further enhance the virtual meeting of strangers. Even though my appointment was planned a week in advance, the excitement and anticipation was palpable before entering. Comfortable couches and friendly faces from the organization casually relax and chat before entering. The portal becomes an extenuation of a shared living room.

All I could think was - who would I meet? Perhaps my Tehran doppelgänger! At 15-minute intervals, striking a thorough conversation can be difficult, but even the casual questions hold weighted answers as you quickly learn (and try to understand) the differences between your country and Tehran – perhaps a place Americans will never truly be welcome.

Shared Studios has lofty goals – portals in many countries, portals in Ferguson, MI, portals at high schools – but these objectives are by all means possible, tangible, and necessary in our polarized global society. Portals can seemingly provide a safe space for dialogue allowing people, perhaps some who cannot travel, to experience countries and foreigners.

They are currently raising money to continue global expansion and further develop this concept; however, even at this early stage, they have welcomed many noted guests – CNN Host Fareed Zakari, Director Doug Liman, Dean of the Yale School of Arts Robert Storr, and Chef Kami Babai.

They have also created artist collaborations via this portal. People like Amirali Ghasemi and Mariana Olinger as well as Titus Kaphar with Yousha Bashir partake in joint art projects via the portal. This added element of creation and exchange further elucidates the possibilities of Portals.

Watch for Shared Studios to continue growing, expanding, and transforming as this notion of cross-cultural exchange becomes more prominent over the next few years. Where will they connect next?

Shared Studios is at Lu Magnus Gallery, 55 Hester Street, New York, NY 10002 until December 19, 2014. RSVP for a spot or give them a call (212 677 655)  to see if you can drop by and step into the portal.

-Kirsten Nicholas

[artlog]

Must Attend NYC Events

Cover Image: Tomas Saraceno, In Orbit, Kunsthalle Dusseldorf, 2013 (sadly this has not been in NYC yet...)

December is upon us and amidst all the Holiday shopping and travel New York City has squeezed in some must-see art events you will not want to miss. We will keep you updated on how these lectures, experiences, and performances continue to expand traditional notions of art.

Photograph by Elizabeth Bick for Shared Studio.

Shared Studios – A Portal Between Tehran and NYC

Itching for some international travel? Connect with an individual in Tehran in a new global public art project, Portals. This joint endeavor, between Lu Magnus in NYC and M-40 Studio in Tehran, employs technology to connect distant places. Each portal is a shipping container equipped with specialized communications technology that will allow two individuals to converse as if sitting in the same room. Who knows, perhaps you will meet your Tehran soul mate, doppelganger, or intellectual counterpart!

Running from December 5-19th 7:30A – 1:30P. Reservations are required – sign up directly through their site. 

Mock Up provided by Park Avenue Armory.

Douglas Gordon – Park Ave Armory

Turner Prize-winning artist Douglas Gordon has transformed the Park Avenue Armory into a reflective field of water… Wait, what? For his installation tears become…streams become… Gordon transformed this historic building by filling the space with 122,000 gallons of water, thus creating a 27,648 ft2 field of water. Experience this monumental installation during the day for a contemplative experience or attend a performance with noted pianist Hélêne Grimaud during the evening. She will perform water-themed works creating a confluence of light, reflection, music, and sound.

Tears become… streams become… is on view from December 10 – January 4 with performances taking place from December 10 -21. Check the website for specific times/dates and to buy tickets. 

Tomas Saraceno, Cloud City at the Met, 2012.

Tomas Saraceno Lecutre – Guggenheim Museum

Tómas Saraceno is known for his engaging installations that encourage viewer involvement. Architecture, art, and natural silence collide in his immersive sculptures that take viewers out of their comfort zone. Saraceno will reflect on his unique artistic practice and shared interests with Zero artist Otto Piene – they both sought innovative ways to connect people with others and their surroundings. You will also have an opportunity to view ZERO: Countdown to Tomorrow, 1950s-60s free for crowds. 

Join Saraceno Wednesday, December 17th at 7PM at the Guggenheim. Advance tickets required. Don’t miss a chance to learn what inspires this forward-thinking artist.

-Kirsten Nicholas