Alien Staff

Krzysztof Wodiczko and members of the Physics and Media Group are working on a new variant of the Alien Staff, a piece of storytelling equipment and a legal and ethical communication instrument and network for immigrants. It is an instrument that gives the singular operator-immigrant a chance to "address" directly anyone in the city who may be attracted by the symbolic form of the equipment, by the character of the "broadcast" program, and by the live presence and performance of its owner.

The Alien Staff resembles the biblical shepherd's rod. It is equipped with a mini video monitor, loudspeaker, and electrodes for electric field sensing. A laptop computer, field sensing circuitry, and batteries are are located in a specially designed shoulder bag. The laptop is used as a digital video indexing and retrieval system that is controlled gesturally. The small size of the monitor, its eye-level location and its closeness to the operator's face are important aspects of the design. Since the small image on the screen may attract attention and provoke observers to come very close to the monitor and therefore to the operator's face, the usual distance between the immigrant, the stranger, will decrease. Upon closer examination, it will become clear that the image on the face of the screen and the actual face of the person are of the same immigrant. The double presence in "media" and "life" invites a new perception of a stranger as "imagined" (a character on the screen) of as "experienced" (an actor off-stage---a real life person). Since both the imagination and the experience of the view are increasing with the decreasing distance, while the program itself reveals unexpected aspects of the alien's experience, his or her presence become both legitimate and real. This change in distance and perception might provide the ground for greater respect and self-respect, and become an inspiration for crossing the boundary between a stranger and a non-stranger.

Xenologies

All the existing versions of the Alien Staff, including the new, third variant, and the existing Porte Parole units, are on display at Galerie Lelong in New York from March 15 until April 27 as part of Wodiczko's show entitled Xenology: Immigrant Instruments. The opening was from 6-8 pm on March 15. The gallery is located at 20 West 57th Street, on the 5th floor, and is open from Tuesday-Saturday 10-5:30. Telephone (212) 315-0470. Here is a review of the show from the New York edition of Time Out.

The most recent Alien Staff performance was at the Next 5 Minutes Festival in Rotterdam. On Saturday, 20 January, 1996, the Zaal De Unie in Rotterdam (Mauritsweg 35) hosted an evening during which Wodiczko presented the Alien Staff and other projects. (20.00-23.00 hrs) Guests on this evening also included some of the Staff operators from Rotterdam, a social psychologist who talked about the therapeutic impact of the Staff, and a representative from the local refugee agency.