[Reader-list] THE HELLOWORLD PROJECT/media release

[anisha imhasly]

Media Release
December 5, 2003

THE HELLOWORLD PROJECT
/ JOHANNES GEES

Global media art project in Mumbai, Geneva, Rio de Janeiro and New York 
during the UN World Summit on the information society, by Johannes Gees.

The "Helloworld Project" gives people all over the world an opportunity 
to project their own message onto well-known buildings and landmarks in 
the four cities of Mumbai, Geneva, Rio de Janeiro and New York from 
December 9th to 12th, 2003. All they need is Internet or SMS access. 
The project grew out of a cooperation between Swiss media artist 
Johannes Gees and the Swiss Federal Office of Cultural Affairs /Federal 
Department of Home Affairs. The Helloworld Project is a gift of 
Switzerland as the host country to the UN World Summit on the 
Information Society, being held in Geneva from December 10th – 12th, 
2003.

The "digital divide", which has opened up between industrial, emerging 
and third world countries and the right to freedom of expression are 
two of the most important issues to be discussed at this summit. The 
Helloworld Project goes to the heart of these issues in an attempt to 
combine technology and communication, language and urban landscapes in 
a global interactive installation.


Poetry on the Jet d’Eau, dreams on the UN headquarters

In India’s commercial capital Mumbai (formerly Bombay), the messages 
will be projected on the Air India Building on the bustling "Marine 
Drive" at the heart of the business district. In Geneva, the laser will 
be projecting on the city’s famous landmark, the 140m high water 
fountain Jet d’Eau. In Rio de Janeiro people will be able to read the 
messages on a mountainside above Ipanema Beach, on the boundary between 
Leblon, one of Rio’s wealthiest districts, and Vidigal, the oldest 
favela, or slum, of the city.  In New York the messages will be beamed 
onto one of the most famous buildings in the world, the UN headquarters 
on Manhattan’s East River. At the UN summit in Geneva, the Helloworld 
Project will have a live webcam video-installation right next to the 
plenary hall.


Information technology links up for a simple message

In order to give as many people as possible access to the project, Gees 
and his team of more than 25 people – who include the Swiss SMS 
pioneers Minick AG as well as SWITCH – have linked up a network of 
internet, SMS gateways und laser projectors. Within seconds, the 
messages will reach one of the projectors, wherever they come from in 
the world.

Message jockeys (editors based at swissinfo) will view the incoming 
messages in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, and 
Spanish and pass them on within seconds to the projectors. Commercial, 
sexist or racist messages, or those containing personal insults will 
not be projected. A message archive () on the website will store all 
the sent messages.

Partners:
The project is organised by the Federal Office for Culture (Department 
of Home Affairs), and supported by SRG SSR idée suisse, Migros 
Kulturprozent, Minick AG and Switch – the Swiss Education and Research 
Network.

About the artist:
Johannes Gees is an artist and media producer based in Zurich, 
Switzerland. The Helloworld Project is the second in a series of 
interactive installations in public space (see 
www.hellomrpresident.com).


Facts & Figures

Project Title:			
The Helloworld Project

Concept:				
Johannes Gees, www.johannesgees.com

Duration				
Tuesday, 9.12.03, to Friday, 12.12.03

Cities					
Mumbai, Geneva, Rio de Janeiro, New York

Surface area of Projections:		
 From 25x60 m up to 70x400 m

Website:				
www.helloworldproject.com

SMS-numbers:			
Mumbai: 		
+44 7781 48 40 40
Geneva: 		
+44 7781 48 40 10
Rio de Janeiro:	
+55 2188 91 55 90
New York:
+44 7781 48 40 48
Cost: as for a normal SMS.

Laser online:				
Mumbai: 	18:00 – 00:00 (13:30 – 19:30 CET)
Geneva:  	17:00 – 23:00 CET
Rio:	     	19:30 – 01:30 (22:30 – 04:30 CET)
New York:	to be announced Dec 9 on the website
NB: Messages via internet or SMS can only be sent while laser is online!

Languages:
Arabic
Chinese
English
French
Hindi
Portuguese
Spanish
					
Images will be available from the Keystone photo agency and its 
international partners Associated Press or European Pressphoto Agency 
or from the website www.helloworldproject.com
	
For up-to-date film material please contact Anisha Imhasly, anisha at johannesgees.com

Contact:
The Helloworld Project, Johannes Gees, contact at johannesgees.com, +41 79 
237 52 93
Media contact: Anisha Imhasly, anisha at johannesgees.com

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THE HELLOWORLD PROJECT
Anisha Imhasly
Communication + PR
Johannes Gees
Ankerstrasse 3
8003 Zürich / Switzerland

anisha at johannesgees.com
WWW.HELLOWORLDPROJECT.COM
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