Interactive Art: A Piece From Martin Callanan
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Interactive Art: A Piece From Martin Callanan

Interacting with real life, or mimicking a part of life.

12
Interactive Art: A Piece From Martin Callanan
Martin John Callanan

International Directory of Fictitious Telephone Numbers - based on the title, I will refer to this piece as IDFTN for ease of typing.

IDFTN is a piece of media made by Martin John Callanan. Martin is a conceptual artist from England, who has had work in many museums around England, Spain, and the Netherlands. He does a lot of interactive artwork and sculptures that combine traditional work with new technology or something that may not seem related at first. This piece is one of his lesser-known works but I think that it is really interesting regardless.

INDFTN is a real phone book, put together by countries from all over the world. Inside it are phone numbers from all these countries that are put aside for use in movies, TV, plays, etc. These numbers will never be in public use, this way if someone in a move calls a number, that person somewhere won't be harassed by unwanted calls (i.e. 8675309).

The way this media piece works is that a telephone with a display is programmed to go through the entire book and call each number. On the display is a message of the words “error” or “not available” that comes up in whatever language the number is associated with. The phone just goes through endlessly, set to speaker mode so that all you hear is the dialing tones and then some message saying the number cannot be reached.

It just goes through over and over. In a sense, this piece can be easily argued as linear because of the actions, however, the randomness quickly makes this anything but linear in nature. At the same time, there is always the sense of the unknown. You do not know what message will be played. There is also a very small chance that the phone makes an error and actually calls a number. The odds are not likely but, considering that all technology does glitch, it could happen.

If this were a game, it would be akin to puzzle game, or even like a continuous side scrolled. In the sense of s side scrolling game, it will generally go on forever until an impasse has been reached. This phone will continue to dial these numbers until the power is cut, or the phone bill is not paid.

When looking at the grid of Game and Play types made by Callois, this piece of media falls under Alea. Alea is the concept of randomness and chance. A game or activity with this creates a sense of unpredictability that keeps the user or viewer engaged. In comparison to Huizinga's theories of play, it is in the sense of Ludus. It is a simple yet complex task with a set of outcomes that can only be from a select group. If this were to be made into a video game, it would be a pretty boring game. It would need a variable element in it. The most obvious of these being a real phone that is answered by an unknown person or maybe hidden messages on some of the fake phone lines.

Either way, I like when concept art does something; even if it seems mundane or silly. It is, to me, interacting with real life or mimicking a part of life. In this sense, IDFTN also falls under simulation on the classification chart. The last main idea to talk about here is the presence of a work. How is a piece interacting with the environment and itself? Is it physically entering our world, or is it mimicking elements from it? The phone here meets many of these criteria. It is in our world and it actually interacting with real devices in our world. I think that it is unique that it's purpose is to go through this enormous book of fake numbers, which itself is interesting to think about that so many numbers have been put aside for the sake of art.


Find out more here!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

48749
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

30993
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

954813
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

180007
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments