Since Feb. 12, people have been able to text back-and-forth conversations with city street furniture, such as lamp posts, mailboxes and fire hydrants—most anything with an existing serial number throughout the city of Austin.
The interactive project, called Hello Lamp Post, was commissioned by the city's Art in Public Places program, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, in partnership with nonprofit advocacy group Art Alliance Austin. London-based PAN Studio created the project two years ago. The tech-art group visited Austin, the second place internationally to host the award-winning art project—the other being Bristol, England, for a Feb. 12 launch party.
While most Bristol participants participated in Hello Lamp Post during the day, Ben Barker, the project's co-creator, said he expects more nighttime use in Austin.
"People have caught onto the idea quickly here, I think," Barker said. "There's not many people going, 'Well, why would you do that?' Most people are going OK, I get it. Now what do I text? Where do I start? There's a lot more acceptance."
This project represents new territory for Austin public art, said Meghan Wells, the Art in Public Places administrator.
"In 30 years the city has really changed and evolved," Wells said. "The way people interact with art is also changing, and we wanted to make sure we evolve with it."
The Hello Lamp Post project also evolved to be more specific to Austin, said Carrie Brown, the Art in Public Places project manager who helped spearhead the public project. When PAN Studio artists first visited the city last December, Brown said it did not take long to notice all the serial numbers needed for people to interact with objects.
"Even a lot of individual trees have numbers," she said, explaining the existing numbers are typically used for maintenance and tracking purposes.
The idea to bring Hello Lamp Post to Austin was first conceived a year ago, Art Alliance Austin Executive Director Asa Hursh said. He said he enjoys how the interactive nature of the project attracts interest from outside the city's existing art community in the form of new art enthusiasts and tech-focused artists.
"We're not just reimagining art work, we're reimagining artists," Hursh said.
Participants have so far embraced the project, he said, especially once they better understand the concept.
"It's exciting to make people look at the city differently," Hursh said. "These are things we take for granted."
The objects build off each conversation to develop new replies, Brown said. The technology also allows Brown and other Art in Public Places staff to follow where the most conversations are taking place, she said.
"You can experience this in your own neighborhood," she said. "Maybe even on your own block right outside your house."
Different objects will trigger different conversations, Hursh said. For example, he said light posts will talk about shining their light, or a bus stop might talk about travel.
"The artist came up with a whimsical flavor that is really important to the project," Hursh said.
The project overlaps with South by Southwest Music and Media Conference, allowing out-of-towners to learn about Austin through this experimental project. Hursh said the timing is appropriate now that SXSW includes an art component, which last year included PAN Studio as panelists.
How to use
Until April 27, most inanimate objects in Austin can hold conversations through text messaging. Here's how:
1. Pick an object—Look for street furniture with serial codes on them.
2. Say hello—Send a text message through your phone to 512-580-7373 in the following format:
- "Hello object #code"
- Example: "Hello hydrant #B6291"
3. Keep talking—Answer the object's questions and find out what the object has learned through what other people have said already.
The city's public arts program has posted signs explaining these steps. Interested participants can also visitwww.hellolamppostaustin.com.
City of Austin Art in Public Places program
In 1985 a city law was passed requiring 1 percent of all Austin capital improvement budgets to be dedicated to public art purchases, making Austin the first Texas city to have a public arts program. The law changed in 2002 to double Austin's commitment to public art.
Today the city's Art in Public Places program commissions artwork from local and national artists of all experience levels, said Meghan Wells, the program's administrator, a role she has held since 2010. Last year her department added a collections manager to maintain the city's existing art stock—some 180 pieces. Her program now has six employees.
Wells said a visual arts panel is tasked with awarding grants. The panel typically seeks out artists who work with durable materials and are interested in collaborations, she said.
Her program also has money set aside this year to fund a third round of temporary public art projects through the city's TEMPO program, which first awarded grants to artists in 2008 and again in 2013–14. Participation in a TEMPO project can help artists gain approval to create a more permanent project, Wells said.
Her office also hosts open office hours from 2–4 p.m. the second Friday of each month.
