Aram Bartholl: Maps

German artist Adam Bartholl, creator of the First Person Shooter Glasses I blogged earlier, has just premiered a new project called Map, which brings those red Google Maps location markers to life:

The web interface of Google Maps uses small graphical icons to show location related search results on a map in an alphabetical order. On each new search ten red markers (A - J) known from the analogue world find their new position automatically within milliseconds. Interestingly each marker and even the speech bubbles with further information do cast a shadow on the map and satellite image. While zooming in the map the pixel size of the markers on the screen always stay at the same size. But if their size is seen in relation to their environment they shrink while the user does zoom in the map.
This effect corresponds exactly to the phenomenon of Mr. Turtur, the illusionary giant of the children fantasy novel “Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver“ written by Michael Ende.

The size of the rebuilt red Marker in reality corresponds to the size of a marker in the web interface in max zoom factor of the map.

Here's a video of the marker's installation from YouTube:



For further reading, check out the Gizmodo profile on Bartholl.

(via coin-operated)