Visual Studies
WHY CHECK-IN: A STUDY OF GEOLOCATION BASED ON MOBILE APPLICATIONS
My thesis explores the dynamics of geolocation based mobile applications. Foursquare, the application I decided to explore, uses the GPS on phones to verify their location and lets users check-in to venues. Checking in has lots of practical uses and advantages including documenting ones location, sharing with friends, recommendations, tips, and more. The social gaming aspect of the application allows users to earn prestigious badges, "mayorship" titles, and points. While this might seem like an odd thing to do, Foursquare adds a completely new dynamic to the way we socialize, the way we interact with urban space, and our use of social capital.
I recorded over 3,000 screen shots through my experience. The obsessive repetition of checking in was something I wanted to conceptually incorporate in my art. One wall of my exhibit will be an installation of screenshots that I will place individually to cover the entire wall. The repetitive labor of adding every picture individually acts as a reflection to my actual experience. I also used the open API of my foursquare data and explored different programs and websites that allow you to visualize data in various ways. I have used a heat map with the API information of all of my check in history to contrast and focus the information from all my check-ins.
Sector C: Art Practice and Technology
Advisers: Sharka Hyland (FNAR) | Peter Decherney (CINE/ENGL)