PICK ME UP

Table, Chair, Vintage Telephones  

As a child it was a great thrill to hear a public telephone ring and wonder who was on the other end.  It was a mystery of infinite possibilities, a link to the unknown.  It seemed like a magical device, a miracle of modern technology that made the world a finite place.  Soon no one will remember the sound of a bell ringing in an analog device, or the thrill of hearing a public phone ring on a city street.  This installation aims to connect people to the unknown other end while using the physical interaction of the analog.

This installation will be positioned over two spaces, in the first a vintage telephone will sit on an ornate table next to a luxurious chair.  A plaque will read “Pick Me Up”.  In the second space a large grid of telephones, of all different makes, models, and colors will be mounted to the wall.  A mass of antiquated technology in a sea of cords and colors.  

When the receiver from the main phone is lifted, it will randomly call a phone on the corresponding grid for three rings, then another phone will ring three times, and continue in a random order, inviting observers to find the ringing phone and speak to the person on the other end.