Selfsurfing by Jonas Lund is a Google Chrome extension for networked performance. The extension:

creates a self-surfing, auto-updating clone of my browser in real time. My browser has a server extension installed which transmits the current state of my browser to a intermediate server, which holds all relevant information. This information is then picked up by Selfsurfing extension.

Originally seen on Trianulationblog.

For related work (extensions for Firefox) see Disorganiser and Shiftspace.

rep.licants.org is:

a web service allowing users to install an artificial intelligence (bot) on their Facebook and/or Twitter account. From a different set of techniques, the bot attempts to simulate the activity of the user, to improve it by feeding his account and to create new contacts with other users.

The bot does not born [sic] with a fictitious identity, but will be added to the real identity of the user to modify it at his convenience. Thus, this bot can be seen as a virtual prothesis added to an user’s account, with the aim to build him a greater social reputation. Moreover, this bot can be perceived as a threat by defrauding even more the reality of who is really who on the cyberspace and by showing the poverty of our social interactions on these so-called social networks.

Above is an example conversation created by an instance of the bot (see more here). For similar work on artificial lifeforms / bots (albeit visualised very differently) see EKKAH.

rep.licants.org is currently showing at the Robots and Avatars exhibition at Fact in Liverpool until 27/05/12.

Infinite Glitch is a online automated system that generates a live audio-visual stream from media files freely available on the web.

Every day an incomprehensible number of new digital media files are uploaded to hosting sites across the internet. Far too many for any one person to consume. Infinite Glitch is a stream-of-conciousness representation of this overwhelming flood of media, its fractured and degraded sounds and images reflecting how little we as an audience are able to retain from this daily barrage…Source audio and video files are ripped from a variety of popular media hosting sites, torn apart, and recombined using collage and glitch techniques to create an organic, chaotic flood of sensory input.

A discussion at an art gallery recently about utilitarian ceramics (specifically teapots) and their relevance in a gallery (just to be clear I defended their right to be there) coincided with seeing this online.

Google Vase is a vase conceived and created as a result of the most popular/relevant images retrieved from Google image search. The process of creating the work is described as follows:

A vase created by the work with the term itself. Researched pictures were collected and analized. The rotation outlines of 8 vases were arranged around a centre and connected by minimal surfaces in a 3D construction software. Afterwards the textures were set on the surfaces and the vase was printed by a 3D-Printer.

Reinventing a ‘traditional’ form through new media technologies, Google Vase is certainly relevant to any contemporary art gallery.

Originally seen at Triangulation Blog.

SYN by Artereazione.

SYN is a synchronization request packet on the Internet. SYN means “together” in ancient greek. SYN is the synapsis. Through the synapses a neuron exchanges informations with other neurons within a neural network managed by the brain. SYN installation is a “social brain” activated by new feeds posted on thematic blogs or web community pages.

Users can send impulses to the installation by leaving comments on the projects page.