The Communication Mods exhibition in Toronto features five works by Mark Argo, that explore human-to-human communication through the process of modification. Each piece asks the audience to participate by submitting some of their music, photos or videos using laptops and cameraphones. The end result is a snapshot of a particular community at a specific time and place though the catalog of collected media.

WhereTheHeartIs asks the audience to use their cameraphones to contribute iconic images of Toronto to a screen in the gallery. The images are then sent to small screen which Mark Argo wears over his heart. During the two-month exhibition, this installation will create a direct link between the artist and his home city, regardless of location.

WhereTheHeartIs, .dot.dot.dot and hugMS

hugMS and .dot.dot.dot are two bluetooth objects designed to augment mobile phone communication. The first one attempts to transmit hugs, using SMS messages. Sensors inside the device read how long and how hard you have squeezed and format a text message based on your hug (movie). The other, .dot.dot.dot, is a wearable display that shows to the people around you who you are talking to, or what you are messaging (movie).

CoDeck, developed in collaboration with D.Melinger, S.Van Every, Ami Wolf, is a platform for community media sharing embodied in a late 1970s Betamax machine. The community can upload media using a laptop or local desktop computer, or record an ‘on-the-spot’ message by pushing record on the video deck and speaking into the attached video camera. The CoDeck is connected to a TV and plays a constant stream of community-shared video content. Written comments can be added to each video, displaying at the bottom of the screen while it plays. (video: mpeg4 )

CoDeck and Bass-Station

The Bass-Station, with Ami Wolf, is a mobile and networked community-media space housed inside a vintage ghettoblaster. Contained in the ghettoblaster is a modern computer that creates a localized wireless network, and features bulletin boards, chat rooms and music. Music can be uploaded, downloaded and played by using a laptop or the knobs on the front of the boom-box.

York Quay Centre, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, through July 9th.

Other works by Mark Argo: Left, Right, Center – Your Pictures Your Politics, the Nicebots.

Via Fabrica.