The Wired Lab was recently commissioned to present  ‘Global Communication Radio Club’  (G.C.R.C.) at the Wagga Wagga Fusion Multicultural Festival, 17 October, 2015.

Commissioned by Wagga Wagga City Council ‘Public Art Panel’, G.C.R.C. is a participatory work providing audiences with experiential exposure to digital and analogue modes of communication via the world of ‘Ham’ radio. Also known as amateur radio, ‘Ham’ culture is a global phenomenon with clubs in existence around the world since early last century.

To present G.C.R.C.we collaborated with the Wagga Wagga Amateur Radio Club (WWARC AKA ‘The Hams’), in particular our ‘Ham’ stars were John and Jørgen, both long term club members and committed ‘Hams’.

 

G.C.R.C. actively engaged participants of all ages, where they were welcomed to our ‘Club’ and ‘Headquarters’ to be ‘trained’ them in the use of ‘Beverage antennae’ to communicate and receive messages from around the world.

Communications made were mapped via our custom built maypole, which documented communications throughout the day, creating a socially generated artwork. World wide contacts were also further communicated via the contemporary means of twitter  and a LED scrolling text display. With communications made to the Ukraine, Chile, Monte Carlo and throughout Australia, the  G.C.R.C. certainly was GLOBAL.

 

   

In this age of rapid fire communication and online exchange, it was delightful to see children and adults experience the process and subsequent thrill of making ‘contact’.

The Wired Lab was recently invited to present this work at ‘Artlands’, in Dubbo, October 2016.

Big thanks to artists: Jackson Castigleone, David Burraston, Tom Hogan, Bron Batten, Claire Harris, Sarah Last and Glen Walton for making G.C.R.C. such a great experience.

photos: Joshua Thomas for The Wired Lab

#globalcommunicationradioclub