Tampa Public Mood Ring
Site: Cotanchobee Park
Artists: Will Pappenheimer and Chipp Jansen
Concept: Interactive web-based program to highlight the mood of the news. Pappenheimer and Jansen’s interactive program is hosted by tampabay.com, where online visitors can engage the program and “rate the mood” of the news. The lighted ring responds to text, much like the classic mood ring responds to temperature. Gerdau Ameristeel, using recycled steel, built Pappenheimer’s ring design.
Will Pappenheimer says, “My current work is generated with an interest in creating overlapping virtual and real world projects that function through participation and often appear as ‘useful’ rather than artistically motivated. This work often takes the form of an experiment; a prescriptive set of directives that unfold the artwork as a result. The Tampa Public Mood Ring is an experiment in art, sports and telepresence.”
A virtual community of enthusiasts centered on the NFL is invited affect the artwork through the emerging practices of online news commentary and blogging.
"Color lighting is the vehicle that encapsulates the individual and collective moods of the participants. In this project color is an information question and an instant bridge from personal to public space."
Pappenheimer is an artist working in new media, installation and multi-media. His projects utilize participatory media and information aesthetics and home surveillance networks. Chipp Jansen’s interests lie at various intersections of art, computer science and geography. Artistically, his work involves cartographic advocacy, cable network news subversion, and food production performance
