CNN iReport

On January 09, 2009, I became an iReporter and set out on my first assignment to interview about twenty European Second Life residents who directly commented about the breaking news that was taking place live throughout Gaza City. These residents were assembled as part of an "audience" for my art-performance called "WEARABLE NEWS NETWORKs - (WNN)" This performance was part of an Italian Second Life Arts Festival called "Rinascimento Virtuale" ("Virtual Renaissance") that was being held at the real life Museum of Natural History which resides deep within the cultural heart of the Italian Renaissance, Florence. My own performance was hosted in an affiliated festival near Milan called "ARENA" that was curated by the Uqbar Society. As part of the scheduled performance (and also part of my iReporting duties), I had each participant wear some video clothing that I had partially designed. This rather "alien" looking suit sported a special texture that streamed video news-clips from three major news networks: CNN, FOX News and Al-Jazeera directly onto the "fabric" of their clothing. In addition, the entire floor of the ARENA space acted as a massive news-streaming TV screen. As an iReporter, I interviewed each available resident with questions about the news content that they happened to be "wearing". On the whole, the residents (primarily from Italy, Germany, Romania and Holland) felt that the entire cycle of violence should cease between both the Israelis and Hamas. Many other interviewed residents also believed that the incoming Obama Administration will help solve the Gaza crisis after January 20th. This performance activity allowed the residents to become intimate with the news content (images and sounds) that they are bombarded with everyday on television. To see Arco Rosca's photos from the event itself, please click on the link below.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/arcorosca/sets/72157612370988408/show/