FR3E 1NTERNET!1
April 2009
The Project
“FR3E 1NTERNET!1” mutated the entirety of the Internet into a lesser form. It explored the relationship between the increase in volume and speed of communication in today’s networked world and the deterioration of language that has accompanied it.
Details
The installation consisted of two Windows PCs set up to look like a run-down internet cafe, with dirty keyboards and food wrappers strewn about. A banner above invited passers-by to utilize the free internet connection, which was modifying pages in real time to translate the text and over-saturate the images, thus providing the altered, jarring browsing experience.
It was exhibited on April 16, 2009 at Skrol!, a digital art show in Vancouver, BC.
Inspiration
Credit to YouTube commenters, countless web forums, and cellphone texting abbreviations for the concept, and to XKCD #341 and the infamous Upside-Down-Ternet for implementation ideas.