You all know that at the beginning of last year Sao Paolo banned all outdoor advertising right? That meant no billboards, no street level ads, no video screens, no window signs, no awnings. None.

Ever since I heard the “On the Media” report on the ban, I was most struck by this statement:

“And now it’s amazing. They uncovered a lot of problems the city had that we never realized. For example, there are some favelas, which are the shantytowns. I wrote a big story in my newspaper today that in a lot of parts of the city we never realized there was a big shantytown. People were shocked because they never saw that before, just because there were a lot of billboards covering the area.”

Whoa– so not only were they only seeing the ads, there was this whole issue of what they were not seeing. Of course, this really got me thinking, what are we, here in NYC (with such trashy corners as Lafayette and Houston).  And of course, where would we see the biggest impact?

Times Square of course.

I think if Creative Time let me do a “dream project” this would be it. 48 hours of Sao Paolo. I would have black-out style drapes made for all of the ads in Times Square and they would be pre-positioned. Then one Friday afternoon, they would all get dropped. Times Square would remain blacked out (advertising wise) for 48 hours.

I wouldn’t do it as a project to speak badly of the specific advertisers (Times Square is zoned as an “advertising district” and is unique in itself), but rather to see what exactly are we missing by seeing the ads and not the space between, behind and around them. I don’t think we would see favelas or sweatshops, but we might see people and places that we hadn’t noticed before.

A friend suggested that this project could be a massive tourist draw and a huge draw for residents, it could be a gates or waterfall type project! Wouldn’t you love to see Times Square without ads, even if for just one moment?

More images of an ad-less Sao Paolo from Tony De Marco on Flickr.

Larger versions of above images. For even larger, contact me.

updated on 8/4/08 to adjust for the “new” facebook.

I’ve lately been getting a lot of people to join Facebook (you can find me here). It is an interesting tool for both expanding your audience and keeping in touch with your existing audience. At Creative Capital we talk about how you leverage (crude term that I don’t think they actually use) your core group of friends to reach out to a wider audience (mainly their friends). This works in FB because it is a) effortless and b) information is passed on through a trusted friend. It makes updating lots of people really easy because it is all automated and you could just be showing up in someone’s feed consistently. If you want specific stories about how this has worked for me or friends of mine, message me and I will share.

Anyway, one of the things about facebook is that it can a) be a real time suck if you let it and b) can be filled with useless crap. Here’s the quickest and easiest way to streamline your time (I normally don’t spend more than about 5 minutes a day on average on it - sometimes more sometimes less).

1. Don’t add applications - you know, the things like Vampire or Mob Wars, Movie Soulmates and all the other stuff that really is a time waster. Maybe you add them in the beginning to check them out (although I don’t even recommend that) but certainly remove them if they get out of hand. It also can make your presence less professional - unless that is the look you are going for. If you want to add some fun applications, then just limit yourself. I have FriendWheel and Places I have Been. Which I don’t keep up with anyway.
2. Manage what you receive in the feed. On your “Home Page” scroll down to the bottom of the “News Feed” to find “Preferences for Top Stories”. Here you will find a slider to adjust for the “Story Types” that you want to receive. I love the updates (friends of mine hate it) and the events, but am not as interested in profile updates and relationships. So I have adjusted it to suit my needs. This helps to ensure that the information that you are receiving is more suited to your interests. Here you can also adjust who you want to hear more about, and who you want to hear less about.

3. If you find that the constant emails from Facebook are a big distraction, then you can adjust that too. Under “Settings” “Account Settings” “Notifications” you can tell FB what items to notify you about. If you are selective with this it will keep your inbox cleaner and not take the focus from the things you are supposed to be focused on.

4. Finally, and potentially most helpful, control those people who are sending you invitations to join everything under the sun! (You know who they are!) Under “Settings” “Privacy Settings” select “Applications” and then “Other Applications.” Scroll down to the very bottom where you will see “Ignored Application Inviters.” Here you can add your own host of “Application Inviters.”

Another thing you can do, if you do enjoy what I call “update haiku” is set up your phone so that you can send mobile updates. If your carrier isn’t supported (thanks t-mobile!) then you can create a link between Twitter and Facebook so that when you update Twitter (which you can do through a text message) it will automatically update your update. Thats how I keep so connected! I swear I’m not in front of the computer that much!

I should also add that in order for your network to be fruitful and successful you do have to participate. So the time that you do spend on facebook - do so wisely and in a sharing frame of mind. (I installed the “Share on Facebook” google bar application so that I can share interesting news stories and blog posts). I rsvp to events that I am attending and comment on photos and walls. I have joined (and supported groups) and fan-ed pages. So your time is valuable and so is a well nurtured network.

Most of all - have fun with it!

Just got back from the inspirational assault known as Creative Capital retreat. A complete feast of art and ideas. The retreat combines professional development, idea exchange, professional consultations, skill building, networking, dinner parties and very little sleep. All of which adds up to some kind of incredible mind blow. My survival tactic was to wake up extra early (despite late nights) to get to the gym and run a whole lot. One of the features of the week is a day and a half of artist presentations. So not only did I get to see those, but I also had a chance to get to know the artists behind the work. There were some stand outs (in a crowd of mostly excellent work). A quick run down of my favorites:

SuttonBeresCuller- a wonderfully diverse and prolific trio from Seattle. The team’s project is to convert an unused gas station into ‘Mini Mart City Park’. They will transform the space into a lively green space complete with educational aspects. The SuttonBeresCuller body of work includes performative work (stage makeup as old men to get into the zoo free, stranding themselves on their own man-made island), massive time based installations (erecting a large box inside a gallery and then building a chinese restaurant inside it, which was revealed after 3 weeks of work). The work is a witty examination of our cultural consumption both within and without the ‘arts industrial complex’. They haven’t shown outside of Seattle, but that won’t be true for long now that they are in the hands of Creative Capital.

Matthew Moore- a farmer/artist who is self identified as conflicted as to which moniker to put first. His work (both artistic and professional) asks us to examine the relationship we have with food - both as individuals and as a cultural nation. He has a project on local farms that he plans to put in grocery stores around the country.

Brad Lichtenstein - his project is Quest for the Commons witn DJ Spooky. The project will manifest as a trans-media experience,with film, online, re-mixes and widgets. He is exploring what the commons are in an age that is simultaneously more privatized and more open sourced.

Finally, and most immediate, is the film Trouble the Water. Tip documentary film, by the team Tia Lessin and Carl Deal is built around the story and good video footage me two Katrina refugees/survivors. It lays bare the atrocities which were committed (and continue to occur’) in New Orleans. The film is premiering August 22 at IFC. This is a must see for anyone.

There were a number of other notable works shared over the week - I will try to pull together a list of them to share with you in the coming week. Lots of other things to talk about too!

We (the internet team of Steve, Matthew, Chris and I - we were missing Sue and Daniel) also had a chance to present some me our material which was really well recieved and enthusiastically sought. Like I said, it was a pretty amazing week.

• SuperMarkets or Farmer’s Markets
  A project aiming to give people the tools to visualize change. This submission asks that supermarkets be replaced with local/organic farmer’s markets. This could change our society environmentally, culturally and socially.
  (tags: environment remediation publicart farmersmarket farmstand illustration supermarket groceries local sustainability art utopia change community)

• relationships and how micro-blogging can save them
  dosh dosh’s great post on how the services like plurk & twitter are keeping people in touch (replacing the telephone) on a personal enough level to extend their relationships
  (tags: doshdosh social socialnetworking community relationships twitter plurk microblogging lifeblogging)

As some of you may know, I have been working on the curriculum development for a new workshop on artists’ using the internet to build community, create work and promote themselves. My own personal interest has really been in the social networking realm - I found the potential of the exponential audience presented by Facebook (here’s me) pretty astounding. This interest led to me wanting to know more about other services and I leapt into Twitter (me again) and soon thereafter Plurk (and, me again).

I will be honest, it can all be pretty overwhelming, but here’s what I am *just beginning* to figure out.

First, that idea of the exponential audience. What’s really cool about facebook (other than the ability to post blog posts, events, images etc of your work) is that if you post something like an event, and a friend of mine decides to attend - that attendance and the information about the event, is posted to all of her friends. Here’s a non-art example. I  posted to my “wall” (a place to leave notes) a note about a fundraiser for the rescue where we got our dog. I included a really cute picture of my dog. All of my 100+ friends on Facebook saw that posting. One of my friends was interested in the post and posted it on her own wall. Now all of her 100+ friends (of which we only share about 10) saw the posting too. So over 200 people now have access to the information and can act on it.

A similar thing occurs when I make “pages” for my different art projects. When I make the page, my friends see that I have done so, then they can become a “fan” of the page/project. When they become a fan they will recieve updates/events/images that I post which are specific to that project. Also, when they become a fan, their friends will see that and can become fans as well. And, should you chose, the page can be made available to the public. So I have 3 different project pages (HighWaterLine, Insert ____ Here and Seeding the City) on which there are a number of “fans” who are not necessarily “friends” of mine.

Is this making sense? I hope so. Its a little like free word of mouth advertising. There is a certain advanced level of trust that occurs on Facebook, as you chose who your friends are, and therefore anything they are attending is probably of more interest to you - sort of pre-screened in a way.

Starting to sound pretty good? Let’s jump into the idea of these strangely titled things like Twitter & Plurk. These two sites are what are called “microblogs” or sometimes “lifeblogs.” They limit each posting to only 140 characters.  My last 24 hours on Twitter look something like this…

The difference between Twitter & Plurk (other than the interface - Twitters is simpler) is that Plurk allows for more conversation between users, as opposed to the sort of shouts or blips of information on Twitter. What I have figured out to do is to set Ping.fm which provides a way to post to both of them simultaneously (thanks again maplemama!). I already have Facebook set up to update my “updates” via Twitter.

So why bother? Well, Facebook’s exponential power makes it quite obvious, but the micro-blogs are more complicated to understand, and that’s what I am working out right now. I know a couple of my friends primarily use the services to keep in touch with close friends and family - its a pretty nice way to update people on what you are up to moment by moment. (I joke with my friends and family that they really need to join one of the services so they can know what I am actually doing - but that would in fact be the best way to keep up).

They are definitely useful for promoting your blog or site (I announce every new post) and have gotten a couple of referrals to the sites from Twitter (twice as many from Facebook), and I just started Plurk yesterday, so I will let you know after I post this blog. They are also useful for learning things, I just read a great blog post, Social Media - Should You Use it Or Focus Upon Building Your Own Properties? by ProBlogger, who I follow. The best method of using these types of services is to take the time to find your community in the masses and really try to grow and nurture that community. As with any friendship, you can’t just blast in there, announce your blog and expect everyone to come running, there has to be more give and take (just like in real life!) and more engagement with other people. Which can be quite fascinating, I have, over the years met many wonderful people via the web (many of which I do end up meeting in person and many of whom I have been able to maintain a long term friendship). Once you build up that community, you will reap the rewards.

So the difficulty becomes finding a balance between your studio practice, your blogging or website maintenance, participating in social networks and participating in in person networking. There is no doubt that as an artist networking is extremely important. As is paying attention to the business side of your art (including promoting, finances and planning). With all these demands, is there balance? I think there can be, I think focus and time management - both offline and online is really important. I don’t let myself just go wandering around the social networks. I follow the conversations and posts which are of most interest to me, and leaving the rest by the wayside. I also take the time to comment on a worthwhile post (or as you may have noticed lately - bookmarking it to share [trying to figure out the best method for making these weekly posts instead of daily]). That commenting is all part of the social give and take.

There are a lot of posts out there about why and how to act online, why blogging is worthwhile etc., so I don’t need to restate a lot of it:

A post on “catchers” and “throwers” on the web, and how to be courteous as either

1,000 True Fans

The importance of social media marketing

Cory Doctorow on why an artist’s biggest enemy is obscurity, not piracy

The amazing compilation of “Blogging for Artists” put together by Katherine Tyrell

That should keep you busy for a little while, but remember Stay Focused!

• Easing The Pain Caused by High Fuel Prices
  They are biking to work at the Capitol! It’s about time.
  (tags: fuel gas sustain alternativeenergy bicycle washingtondc sustainability transportation)

It’s a simple question right? And the kind that if you have to ask, then you probably are. Here’s why I may be crazy this week. I just took on another project. This one an installation in a bookstore on climate migration. Don’t get me wrong, I am super excited to have been invited to participate in the show “Free Forms” curated by Markio Tanaka and including my good friends Yuko Oda and Megan Whiteford.

But didn’t I recently state ‘no more projects’ - I have plenty to work on for 2009.

Here’s my problem, I get really excited about a project and just have to do it. I have been wanting to do a climate migration project for a while, and hadn’t figured out what it was going to look like. Then the bookstore was proposed to me and it kind of made sense. So now I am working on learning all I can about the numbers and places in regards to climate migration.

I should make clear that I am in no way complaining - not at all! I am totally thrilled to have so many opportunities to share my work - that’s really the point of creating art for me. I just don’t know if I am the best person to judge my own time availability.

Another crazy thing I am up to is the Insert ____ Here project. I originally designed this project for the <>Tag show in the Netherlands because I was invited to do a project that engaged the audience in the streets, but I didn’t want to fly over there for a weekend (by the way, you guys can still do it if you want?!). So I basically designed a project which removed the artist from the project. Participants are given signs to post in their neighborhood identifying good spots for positive change. They photograph it and upload it to the Insert ____ Here Flickr group. Then a team of designers would dive in and illustrate the remediation.

I just got some amazing images from designers for the upcoming CitySol installation. The images are (from top to bottom), Insert ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT Here - 063 by Anne Tochka,  Insert BIOSWALE/FILTRATION Here - 062 by Pat Barrett and Insert COMMUNITY GARDEN Here - 061 by Jen May.

Stunning yes?

I was interested in motivating artists/illustrators/designers to participate because I thought it would be a) fun b) a chance for possible media attention c) doing something good. Turns out that I’m not such a good motivator and most people - rightfully so - want to be paid for their work. So I am planning a competition for the remediation portion of the project, with money awards.

I also would love to get this project happening in more places around the world - so if you want to host an Insert ____ Here project, let me know. So far it has happened in Brooklyn, Leiden (The Netherlands) and this weekend at CitySol in Manhattan. Upcoming is Brussels and San Francisco.

All that being said, come out and say hi, and participate in the project which will be at CitySol this Sunday, June 29 I will (I think) be leading a tour and handing out signs for participants to post, and in the afternoon participating in a panel called “Inter-activism”.

Yeh, I’m probably crazy, but I think we have discussed before that I love it.

• Inhabitat » Canada’s Shimmering Solar Collector Sculpture
  oh this is very cool. scary, but cool. scuptural science. i love it.
  (tags: canada solar solarpower alternativeenergy sculpture science)
• Insert ____ Here | rethinking your neighborhood
  can i tag my own posts? when it contains gorgeous images by the artists Jen May, Pat Barrett & Anne Tochka, you bet I can! They drew some beautiful remediations for the insert here project that is part of CitySol at Solar One.
  (tags: citysol solarone communitygarden remediation sustainability environment climatechange globalwarming art inserthere illustration design monorail marsh waterfiltration installation publicart)

• YouTube - the speech of the century by a little girl in u.n. eco 92
  Over 16 years ago a young girl stood up for the planet in front of the UN…
  Thanks Steve (visitsteve.com) for the link
  (tags: UN eco environment speech)
• GOOD Magazine | Goodmagazine - Train in Vain
  I tried taking a train to Columbus Ohio earlier this year (I love train travel and moved to NYC via train in 1993, a backpack and a duffel bag), but the situation is dire. The trains are notoriously late - and in the case of Ohio, arrived at 3:30 in the m
  (tags: train benjervey alternative goodmagazine)