[ o ] picidae

Wang Ba Internetcafe in Beijing China
Wang Ba Internet café in Beijing China 2007

picidae (Latin for woodpecker) explores the borders of our individual perception. The Internet becomes at the same time the medium as well as the object of exploration. picidae delivers images of HTML web pages that are clickable themselves. The images circumvent redirects, ranking, rating, filtering and censorship. Since the release in autumn 2007 picidae has been used in China, in Iran, in Dubai and in North African countries to view web pages. In Europe too, the project has become the touchstone for the increasing control and manipulation of the Internet and as an Art project it makes things visible in a new way.

Supported by: Migros Cultural Percentage, Saxon State Ministery for Science and the Arts, Werkleitz Halle
Awarded by: Cynetart, Transmediale (honourable mention)
http://www.picidae.net

Exhibition & installation views >>

picidae used in china
Screenshots Shanghai 2007 left: BBC web site isn't reachable right: BBC web site via picidae

picidae How it works
picidae - functional diagram