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"The message of the electric light is like the message of electric power in industry, totally radical, pervasive, and decentralized."
-Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media
 

P2P highlights the ubiquity of the most basic symbols of the electric age: the household switch and bulb. Significantly situated in a public forum, P2P puts the marquee, a now-ubiquitous and iconic tool of corporate communication, into the hands of the general public. By engaging in the everyday unconscious activity of flipping a light switch, citizens are able to communicate directly, without the oversight of a centralized authority.

125 switches, 125 corresponding bulbs. The public are in control and can flip a switch and instantly see the response, creating any patterns they choose in the hanging marquee. Some enjoy seeing their names in lights, others post expressions of emotion or affiliation. Solo interaction blends with group dynamics as messages are created and changed. Ultimately, P2P encourages dialogue about the use of technology as a communication medium and appropriate limits on public speech.

P2P was created by Matt Gorbet, Rob Gorbet and Susan Gorbet.

 

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