Introducing SVEN!

Introducing SVEN! http://deprogramming.us/sven

June 2006: SVEN - Surveillance Video Entertainment Network (aka "AI to the=

People") - makes its street debut.

The SVEN van - aka "SVAN" - kicked off its Beach and World Tour on the stre=
ets
of San Diego. Vying for attention with the ocean and The GAP, the SVAN mobi=
le
surveillance music video unit rolled into the upscale beach community of La=

Jolla. Parking by the surf and in the downtown shopping district, the SVEN =
van
set down its brake and set up its camera, video screen and sound system in=

search of undiscovered rock stars.
http://deprogramming.us/sven/drives.html


What is SVEN?

SVEN is the project that asks the question, "If surveillance technology
can detect when you look like a terrorist, criminal, or other nasty type -
why not have it detect when you look like a rock star?"

SVEN stands for "Surveillance Video Entertainment Network," and SVEN takes =
the
Entertainment part very seriously. Why? Because people already take
surveillance seriously - it's scary, after all. But that's just because it'=
s
almost always used in ways that scare and mystify people.

So, SVEN has responded by developing some far more entertaining surveillanc=
e
technology. The SVEN system detects when a pedestrian looks like music vide=
o
star, and converts boring surveillance video into a music video before
onlookers' eyes. Since it's a surveillance system, rock-star pedestrians do=
n't
know when they're being watched. But anyone looking on at the SVAN can witn=
ess
the newly-discovered stars' 15 seconds of fame.

The SVEN van will be making appearances in various cities throughout the su=
mmer
and fall - both randomly-occuring city drives and scheduled drives held in=

conjunction with hosted events. A comparative study of culturally and
recreationally diverse beach populations is in the works.

Next Scheduled SVENCOUNTER:

July 12, 2006: Escher-Wyss-Platz. Zurich.
Hosted by the Digital Art Weeks Conference:
http://www.jg.inf.ethz.ch/wiki/DAW/Front.

SVEN Development/Production Team '06: Amy Alexander, Wojciech Kosma, Vincen=
t
Rabaud
Production Assistants/Roadies: Marilia Maschion, Annina Ruest
Initial SVEN Development by: Amy Alexander, Jesse Gilbert, Nikhil Rasiwasia


More info:
http://deprogramming.us/sven
Contact: sven06 (fill_in_the_symbol) deprogramming.us

–
Note - Mail sent to the email address in the header may or may not actuall=
y
reach me! A current, fully-functional address for me can always be found at=
the
bottom of the http://plagiarist.org home page. Danke, gracias and thanks!