
YBCA Chief Executive Officer Deborah Cullinan and Future Cities Lab founder Jason Kelly Johnson explain how Murmur Wall gathers internet search data around which people can congregate and reflect in public space.
The public art project, Murmur Wall, is a unique combination of sculpture, light installation, and data collector. It provides a gathering place in the city for data voyeurs seeking out information about compelling issues and topics. Words harvested from trending search engine results are momentarily be displayed on the wall inviting visitors to view, contemplate, discuss, and debate randomly selected phrases. Constructed out of a complex weave of steel, illuminated fiber optic rods, and digital displays, the Murmur Wall creates a playful interface for this civic stronghold to reflect and indulge the anxieties and desires of its occupants.