Throne Speech

About: Throne Speech is a public art installation by Relay Studio that was displayed from July 5th to 7th 2013 at Nathan Phillips Square as part of the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit, a multi-day art festival that sees over 100,000 visitors and substantial press coverage.

The installation is a pair of portable toilets that have been transformed into tin-can telephones, allowing conversation between the two points. When a visitor approaches one of the toilet-telephones, sensors detect their presence and cause the connected “phone” at the opposite end of the line to “ring,” prompting passersby at that end to approach and converse with the the caller.

The installation humorously shines a light on our changing relationship with privacy and telecommunication, while also showcasing how networked technology is changing our relationship with otherwise mundane experiences.

Relay Studio is a collaboration between Andrew Lovett-Barron, Eliot Callahan, Adam Carlucci, and Nick Crampton.

Documentation by Dan Epstein.