The internationally renowned artists' group Blast Theory will present Rider Spoke, their new interactive work for cyclists on the streets of Thissio in Athens.
invites you, either on your own bike or using one provided, to set out on a pre-arranged route with a handheld computer (Nokia N800) mounted on the handlebars and look for a hiding place. Swallows flutter across the screen to show available hiding places, prefab houses indicate places where others have hidden.
Once you find a hiding place – a spot previously undiscovered by any other player – the device flashes an alert and a question. The question is one of a selection authored by Blast Theory that asks you – alone, in an out-of-the way spot – to reflect on your life. You then record your answer onto the device.
The other aspect of the game is to find the hiding places of others. When you find one, the device alerts you to stop and then shows you the question that the person answered and plays you their answer.
The work is being presented in collaboration with the Greek Centre for the Promotion of Volunteerism and with the support of the group Friends of the Bicycle.
