NUKKE


Link: http://www.saunalahti.fi/~off/nukke/

NU-K-KE -a networked installation with a doll shaped interface causing disturbance through web:
The piece nu-K-ke is first of all a networked piece, but it also has an intergral part in the physical world. The interface for the piece is a doll shaped object located in an exhibition space. This doll can be pierced with a needle. [Stab the doll with the needle.]

Traditionally voodoo dolls are used for casting spells or curses over someone; these spells could be lovespells or more commonly wishes for causing pain or killing someone.
[Hit the doll and the doll will strike for you.] The life of the doll is irrevocably connected with the net. When the doll is hit with the needle, a signal is sent over to the computer. The computer selects a random online user from the server (registered victims). At the same time when the user stabs the doll his/her picture is grabbed as a jpeg-image. On the screen of the target/webuser appears a spell/curse; a small death. The monitor of the user turns black and the grapped picture of the stabber appears in the middle of the screen. A short wav soundfile is attached to this.
These willing victims (webusers) need to be registered. Their computer's ip numbers will be saved to a memory/archive of the doll. When the program is started a small icon appears in the taskbar. By clicking on this icon a small dialog appears. This dialog tells where nu-K-ke is currently shown (by server request), and gives the possibility to add a message into a textfield. These registered users are getting sudden messages from the doll, either when they register or when a user in the exhibition is stabbing the doll and the randomly chosen target is their computer. The doll speaks aloud the targeted computer's ip number when it is stabbed and the victim is chosen. After the attack the targeted victim can write a wish or a revenge message and send it back to the doll. All the sent messages, as well as the ip-numbers are heard as text-to-speech generated voice in the exhibition space. When the target computer gets hit through the web, the doll will sing a fragment of a song in the exhibition space.
The webusers can send messages to nu-K-ke, the doll will read them aloud in the exhibition space. They can also send messages to all the other registered victims, which are online and follow their comments appearing on the dialog box.
[Stick the needle and send a curse.] In the voodoo-doll tradition, one punching a needle is projecting many wishes to the doll and remotely hurting someone through it, although unable to observe it physically. In this installation the doll is connected to the net, pushing a needle through it will cause "a death" on a randomly chosen computer. This will take place, although again the one making the act, pushing the needle will not see the results concretly, but has to believe in it.
The message received by the victim; frozen screen and the image of the sender, represents death and destroyment. nu-K-ke chooses a victim with a help of a visitor in the exhibition and causes a small temporary death on the target's computer. [Kill it babe.] The website represents the concept and gives information about the piece; where it is exhibited, registration info, etc. On the website one can also see the updated image of the last stabber and data of the hits and victims.