jonah brucker-cohen and katherine moriwaki

In "Umbrella.net," Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki explore "the aesthetics of mobile ad-hoc networks that form spontaneously between wireless devices." The umbrellas open when a wireless device is turned out and arches connect groups of people. I think that this is interesting because it depicts connectivity in an age where this is as simple as digital interaction.

Even in a world where we can be connected instantly with anyone via social networking sites, email, text messaging, and other things, people still feel alone. We're connected by wireless networks but that doesn't determine how disconnected we can feel sometimes because so much has turned into cold, digital interaction.

This work is notable because it was created by a team of artists and engineers, which is often a characteristic of new media art. Art isn't always just the concept and execution of one person, but rather a team effort.