PROXY_Florence is a dynamic map and a collective story of Florence created through the interplay of virtual space and physical space and the interaction of 500 collaborators from 27 countries. The project exploits social media networks to develop this worldwide collaboration and collection of data that is then precisely mapped using geotagging technology. This, combined with variable data printing process, leads to the production of a 4-dimensional precise, unique and collective document of Florence.
The focus of PROXY 1.0 was [43°46’22”N – 11°15’27”E] from July 9 – 17 as part of the Beyond Media 2009 Festival, Visions. Yet is now exists as a dispersed document, moving and creating new interactions.
The project used facebook to connect and collaborate. It used Google Panoramio’s interface to collect and organize the individual images of Florence captured, envisioned, or remembered by each of the 500 contributors from across the globe. PROXY Florence used Variable Data Printing sponsored by Modern Postcard to convert the individual images collected into 500 unique, tangible postcards that were organized spatially by their coordinate data. These images were mapped according to the image’s remembered or imagined location. These numerous images were returned to their origin in Florence, Italy and specifically, as a scale down version of this city, at Stazione Leopolda, the space of the exhibition. The visitors of this event were invited to dismantle the exhibit by removing the postcard of their choice to keep or mail to a friend. At that moment the name of each collaborator lit up, remaining in the space left behind by each image taken, collectively creating a constellation of points, lines and data defining the structure and quantitative aspects of the map. PROXY Florence is mapping the route of each image and connecting the recipient of the postcard with the origin of the photo and its taker.
If you took a postcard in Florence, go to www.proxyproject.net to register your postcard.
read PROXY_florence article on Arkinet
2017 exhibited as part of Living Section Retrospective of My Fertility at the Weizenblatt Gallery at Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, North Carolina
2011 featured in Arkinet (dpr Barcelona)
2010 featured in SKIRA Yearbook of World Architecture, Architecture communication in the 2.0 web generation and Notcot.org
2009 exhibited at Spot on Schools – Beyond Media/ Oltre I Media, Stazione Leopolda – Florence, Italy, as part of Visions.
PROXY Florence collaborated with friends from many coordinates in the world. The volunteers and contributors represented the following 27 countries: Hungary, Spain, Greece, China, Iran, Israel, France, Portugal, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Germany, Romania, United States, Chile, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Colombia, Jordan, Venezuela, Canada, Serbia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Collaborators: Professors Douglas Hecker and Lauren Mitchell. Students Joshua Kehl, Brian Miele, Brian Leounis, Sarah Moore, Suzanne Bodson, Ayaka Tanabe, Liz Corr, Clay Montgomery, Nathan Asire, Jake DeMint, Adam James, Carla Landa and Jason Butz.
Assistance: Chris Wilkins, Hali Knight, Virginia Black, Sofia Avramopoulou, Benedetta Cavallini, Erica Bucciarelli, Marco Caroti, Kristian Fosholt, Laura Tedeschi, Mauricio Skinner, David De Sevi Bruzual, Eric Brockmeyer, Nathaniel Zuelzke, Olivier Ilegems, Guillaume La Belle, and Kyle Perry.
Translators: Katalin Beck, Gerard Cuartero-Betriu, Anat Katsir, Mostafa Zaafari, Vassilis Kyriakopoulos, Rachel Sellers, Ayaka Tanabe, Erhmei Yuan, Matilde Cassani, Adie Hailat, Patricia Muñiz Núñez, Catalina Gomez, Mea Zatric, Speranta-Octavia Maior, Gerald Lehmacher, Youssef Boubekeur, and Gijs Beesems.
Guest critics: Enrique Larrañaga, David Lee, Dan Harding, and Chuck Krekelberg.
Florence Image contributors: Eric Medvet, João Caetano Dias, Fabrizio Reale, Aki Kuwahara, Fabrizio Reale, Majlend Bramo, Amy Leong, Jonathan Edens, Po Tin, Olivia Fortner, Brian Leounis, Adam Kerechanin, Ryan Freeland, Derrick Simpson, Kyle B Fant, Artin Chahbasian, Blumenfeld, Jessica Webster, Elizabeth Robertson, Carey Roberts, Derek Brown, Lance Mouser, Gretchen Wilkins, Evelyn Dilworth, Elissa Bostain, Liz Corr, Alexander Montgomery, James Self, Lauren Mitchell, Syoko Nakamura, Ayaka Tanabe, Lauren Yates, Alexander Montgomery, Noelle Laureano, Michael Borum, Tara Weeks, Hiroyuki Kano, Olivia & Co., Laura Fortner, Fernando Lara, Ann Zanca, Lauren Colas, Ayumi Chikamoto, Natalie Gualy, Mason Couvillon, Brian Miele, Julie Eng, Atsuko Isokawa, Masaru Isokawa, Frank Visconti, Sarah Moore, Pauline Sirot, Giuditta Poletti, John Comazzi, Milenko Vasic, Linda Miele, Amber Lee, Ellen Miele, Gilli, Brian Leounis, Hizume Hirofumi, Haru Isaka, Shingo Saito, Keisuke Tsukada, Taruto Kokubun, Yamada Hiroshi, Masaki Ogasawara, Inagaki Junya, Kiyoshi Tanabe, Ui Tanabe, Takase Masato, Entyun Yamamoto, Haruka sugiyama, Ritsuko Kuramoti, Aimee Miller De Kalb, Taruto Kanamitsu, H. Kubota, Kie Tanaka, 田中希枝 , H. Kubota, Hali Knight, Dave Wilhoit, Emily Sparr, George Alexandar, Caroline Rash, Ann Marler, Felipe Fernandez, Kristen Moore, Benedetta Mori, Andi Morrell, Armando Montilla Navarro, Ayaka Tanabe, Brian Leounis, Brian Miele, Gep Pond, Sachiyo Watanabe, Wanda Dye, Mandi Young, Alison Drake, Sharon Smith, Doug Hecker, Martha Skinner, Alice Hecker, Brian Miele, Sachiyo Watanabe, Josh Kehl, Frederick Bryant, Sophia Hecker-Skinner, Antonio Passaseo, Patricia Santini Münzenmayer, Anna Reixach, Cari Saluti, Catalina Gomez, Amanda Hyslop, Kristen Moore, Alison Drake, 原田萌, Marina Skinner, Kubota Hozumi, Aimee Miller, Hirofumi Hizume, Victor Chen, Elyse Pasquale, Wanda Dye, Pauline Sirot, Giuditta Poletti, Johannes Schmidt, Julie Eng, Atsuko Isokawa, Natalie Gualy, Ann Zanca, Kaya Sa, Geoff lackner, Anna Reixach, Sachiyo Watanabe, Andi Morrell, Redi Pérez, Fabrizio Reale, Darley Wood, João Caetano Dias, Majlend Bramo, Eric Medvet, Aki Kuwahara, Духанин Сергей, Haruo Satoh, Antonio Passaseo, Peter Schröder, Syoko Nakamura, Julie Eng, Atsuko Isokawa, Milenko Vasic, Natalie Gualy, Ann Zanca, Ginger DeMint ,Gretchen Wilkins, Alice Hecker, 近本あゆみ, Evelyn Dilworth, Fernando Lara, Carey Roberts, Lauren Mitchell, Hiroyuki Kano, Elissa Bostain, Ginger DeMint, Marina Skinner, Tara Weeks, Elissa Bostain, Carey Roberts, Michael Borum, Noelle Laureano, Gretchen Wilkins, Alexander Montgomery, Lauren Yates, James Self, Alice Hecker, Alexander Montgomery, Francisco Gomez, Ginger DeMint, Olivia & Co., Elissa Bostain, Lance Mouser, Elizabeth Robertson, Jessica Webster, Enrica Longo, Adam Kerechanin, and Rafael Gomez-Moriana.
Sponsors: Clemson Advancement Foundation, Clemson University, Fieldoffice, McMahan Fund for Excellence, Clemson University, College of Architecture, Arts & Humanities, Clemson University, Modern Postcard, Each of our 500 collaborators who gave a dollar with each image submitted
Sound: Charlie Bryant