An evoloution of the first Mobile Feelings in 2003, Mobile Feelings II is a commentary on how the mobile phone, though making individuals more accessable, has also undermined privacy. People are exposed to details of stranger’s private lives, making them more self-aware and hyper aware of others around them. Mobile Feelings II is a piece that focuses on “the ambivalence of sharing personal information with an anonymous audience.” (1) This is done by allowing strangers to communicate with each other using special mobile “phones” that simulate human sensations. The shape of the “phones” is organic, meant to make for a more comfortable interaction, adding to the experience. This piece essentially brings the human experience back to technology, bridigng the gap between the two and acting as a human surrogate. 

The two egg like “phones” are meant to be held by two strangers in the room. They simulate heartbeat, blood pressure, skin conductivity, pulse, smell, and sweat. This is done through the use of vibrators, ventilators, and electrochemical systems that mimic that of the person holding the other “phone”.  The “phones” work on a standard mobile network, allowing for particpants to use them anytime and anywhere, just like they would a normal mobile phone. (1)

““Mobile Feelings” is an artistic
project that investigates how technology has transformed our social and
individual lives and how we have accepted a reduced sense of privacy
in exchange for connectivity and mobility. The project also explores how
the sense of “touch” still remains one of our most private sensations,
which we often avoid to share with strangers (2) and still lack a concise
language to describe (3).”

Artists’ Website: http://www.interface.ufg.ac.at/christa-laurent/

Sources:

(1) Sommerer, Christina. Mobile Feelings II. (http://www.interface.ufg.ac.at/christa-laurent/WORKS/CONCEPTS/MobileFeelingsIIConcept.html)

(2) Stenslie,
S. 1996. “Wiring the Flesh: Towards the Limits and Possibilities of the
Virtual Body,” In: Ars Electronica’96. Memesis. The Future of Evolution. Vienna/New York: Springer
Verlag.

(3) Heller,
M. A. and Schiff, W. (Eds.) 1991. The Psychology of Touch. Hillsdale, NJ.:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.