Tweethouse Installation Report

Tweethouse

By Jenny and Allan Kempson

Public Art Installation Report 8.18.2012 - 9.5.2012 City of Seattle OACA and SDOT Art Interruptions program

table of contents 1

Project Description + Artist Background

2

Photos of Installation

3

Interaction Data

4

Tweethouse Publicity

Tweethouse Project Description In today’s world we are continuously updated with information about what is happening outside of our immediate surroundings. In this installation, Tweethouse, we explore the idea of digital and physical experiences combined in a commonplace outdoor feature of a physical birdhouse.

Using the birdhouse as a “base” this project relays information to the public through tweets from a Twitter account.

Two of the birdhouses incorporated LCD screens that displayed Twitter information to pedestrians. For the pink house (@mktmockingbird), a person can tweet to the market mockingbird via a Twitter handle. The mockingbird will then respond via Twitter and the response will display on the birdhouse’s LCD screen. In this installation, we wanted to entice people to have a conversation with the mockingbird and follow up with quick responses to facilitate digital conversations in the public realm.

For the yellow house, people can change a dial to view the most recent tweet from one of three local Twitter accounts: Pike Place Market, Seattle ferry schedule and Seattle weather. We then collected real-time data on the how many tweets a day we are sending and what preference people

have when requesting a tweet. In addition to the tweeting birdhouses, we created five other static houses that help create a cohesive piece and draw attention to the art interruption on the site.

The goal of this project was to provide an interactive experience in the environment while also collecting and communicating data about how people interact with art in the public realm. In addition to providing a fun piece in the ROW, it also was an experiment in how to evaluate people’s engagement with art in the public, both as physical and digital interactions.

By collecting this data on pedestrian use of art in the public realm we hope to make a small contribution towards the recognition of public artworks as important urban features that engage people in place.

The following data was collected by connecting our installation to a Twitter account statistical website (http://twitonomy.com/) and an Arduino data collection website (www.cosm.com). The visualizations were produced by us.

Allan Kempson + Jenny Kempson As a team, we aim to create public installations that provide delightful interactive experiences while also collecting and communicating real-time data about the public, for the public, to facilitate positive city place-making.

We have backgrounds covering Public Art, Landscape Architecture, Human Geography, Psychology, User Experience and Data Visualization.

1

Grant Proposal + Artist Background Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

Installation Photos

Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

2

2

Installation Photos

Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

Installation Photos

2

Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

The Pink House was connected to a single Twitter account: MktMockingBird, which was displayed on the front of the house to promote conversation.

Tweet activity (incoming and outgoing) was highest during the early afternoon hours. Most incoming tweets came from U.S. Citizens, while 1 came from Afghanistan.

3

@mktmockingbird Tweethouse Profile Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

@mktmockingbird Tweethouse Reach Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

3

Tweethouse Conversations @mktmockingbird I see you! @emraene I see you too! Mockingbirds have great vision @mktmockingbird We’re going to the curiosity shop! @emraene I’ll take some curious earthworms please @mktmockingbird hola! Date night with my wife! @dirka good luck! I once had a date with Big Bird.

Total stud @mktmockingbird “tweethouse” captures urban wildlife & Twitter feed. Visit tweethouse on the Pike Place Hill Climb & @mktmockingbird @WaterfrontSEA Just don’t tell the waterfront seagulls! @mktmockingbird :-) @mktmockingbird Hello from your Pioneer Square peeps! @LizStenning I love pioneer square! I Fly there all the time @mktmockingbird Monique’s shaking her tail feathers!” @kascott go Monique! @mktmockingbird Hi Kim! @misscanada Kim? Is she a cardinal? @mktmockingbird Why yes she is @mktmockingbird hello in there” @thealmightygen Mockingbirds are about the size of a robin, just tons more awesome.

3

@subbutweets Birds always get 3 day weekends, because we are awesome @mktmockingbird have a blast at zigzag @mktmockingbird Jennifer ur art rocks @mktmockingbird Oh, hello! @jonthemoose hello!! Happy labor day @mktmockingbird we’ll Play your little game. @mktmockingbird Hello! This is Iain! :D @BuffyFan101 Hiiiii!!!!!!! @mktmockingbird hi Jen! @Mixy_Mae Hi ! @mktmockingbird I like your roof!” @dalanmiller I like your hair! @mktmockingbird what a great day to the Market! @Thomas513 a lovely day indeed! @mktmockingbird The birds in the yellow house are hoarders. @louieno1 this neighborhood is going to the birds! @mktmockingbird I SEE YOU DOG. pic.twitter. com/MOjJZFmp @muffinmanMPLS dogs are the worst! Always chasing birds... @mktmockingbird we’re sad that il corvo is closed today. @ordoinfo mockingbirds love frogs @ordoinfo you should go to the market and get anything but fowl

Mockingbird Data - Conversations Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

@mktmockingbird Thanks for the art installation! @mktmockingbird hello! I like your black and pink house! @Lauraeskelton Im the kind of bird who loves to show off! @mktmockingbird you’re just an empty cage girl if you kill the mktmockingbird! @mktmockingbird meow meow meow!!!!!!!!!!!” @seibbor woof! @mktmockingbird http://yfrog.com/obexlxvzj @cathtrif hello! @mktmockingbird This hill climb really needs a water slide! @mktmockingbird or a zipline @bwekddab rollerskates? @mktmockingbird Tweet to me #PikePlaceMarket #stairs#birdhouse #SocArt pic.twitter.com/KzGkspAW @Punjikasthala good afternoon! You’re looking splendid @mktmockingbird hello. This is Kiwon @kiwonsuh Hi Kiwon - thanks for stopping by.

Now please bring me some bird seed ASAP @mktmockingbird Hello. pic.twitter.com/ Vgj1noEe @Chris__Koller sorry I missed you, I had a thing with a seagull by the waterfront

Interactions by Days of the Week + Hours

Number of tweets per day

Tweets Per Day (2.3 Avg)

avg. 2.3 tweets per day

10

number of tweets

8

6

4

2

9-06

9-04 9-05

9-02 9-03

8-30 9-01

8-29

8-28

}

8-25 8-26 8-27

8-24

8-21 8-22 8-23

8-18 8-19 8-20

8-17

0

Date

Popular Tweet Topics

Mockingbird Data - Mentions Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

3

The Yellow House was connected to 3 public, Seattle-related Twitter accounts, which were selectable via a small wooden dial on the house front.

The idea was to provide locally relevant information to frequent users of the space: tourists and commuters.

Like the Pink House, Yellow House interactions were clustered in the early afternoon hours, with occasional spikes during the middle of the night. The least active times were mid morning and late evening.

The most popular Twitter account was the Pike Place Market’s feed, with nearly half of the interactions.

3

Yellow House Tweet Selection Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

Interactions Throughout the Day

Washington Ferries

Pike Place Market

Seattle Weather

Yellow House Tweet Selection Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

3

Number of twitter mentions 38 total mentions by tweeters 10

number of tweets

8

6

4

2

Date

4

Tweethouse publicity

Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

9-06

9-04 9-05

9-02 9-03

8-30 9-01

8-29

8-28

}

8-25 8-26 8-27

8-24

8-21 8-22 8-23

8-18 8-19 8-20

8-17

0

Tweethouse publicity

Tweethouse Installation Report \\ 2012

4

Thank you!

Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs Seattle Department of Transportation Pike Place Market Association Local businesses along the Pike Hill Climb Metrix: Create Space folks