Rock Strangers — New York

Although Arne Quinze is a faithful supporter of direct social interaction – he often refers to the historical function of squares and market places, where people gathered to have a chat – nevertheless, he does not shun the use of modern multimedia applications as we know them today (such as the Iphone, Blackberry, Ipad, Apps, Facebook, 3D technology, ...). When German
beer label Beck’s launched its Green Box project, a global virtual art project, Arne Quinze was immediately intrigued by the possible meaning of a virtual installation.

On Independence Day (4 July), the day commemorating America’s independence, Arne Quinze projected a digital sculpture on top of the most well-known symbol of independence, the New York Statue of Liberty. This was the
start of a 3-year project. On a worldwide scale, various artists would virtually share their works of art with the general public by means of an ‘augmented reality’ application. This technology makes use of a few reference points located around a green box and a gps system in order
to digitally project the contents. This work of
art could only be seen on the Statue of Liberty after downloading a free special application on your Smartphone. Such a collaboration arouses questions on what is real in the public space and what is not. Who is part of it and who is not?