Nathan Shafer

Archie, aka Architeuthis

Is a project using one of the descriptions of locative media art from William Gibson’s “Spook Country.”

Screenshot by Tamiko Thiel.

 

-Meet Archie,” said Alberto.
Ten feet above the orange tape outline, the glossy, grayish-white form of a giant squid appeared, about ninety feet in total length, its tentacles undulating gracefully. “Architeuthis,” Bobby said. Its one visible eye was the size of an SUV tire. “Skins,” Bobby said.

The squid’s every surface flooded with light, subcutaneous pixels sliding past in distorted video imagery, stylized kanji, wide eyes of anime characters. It was gorgeous, ridiculous. She laughed, delighted.
“It’s for a Tokyo department store,” Alberto said. “Over a street, in Shinjuku. In the middle of all that neon.”

“They’er already using this, for advertising?” She walked toward Archie, then under him. The wireless visor made a difference in the experience.
“I have a show there, in November, ” Said Alberto.
Yeah, she thought, looking up at the endless rush of imagery along Archie’s distal surface, River would fly, in Tokyo.-

William Gibson’s “Spook Country.”