Un-cloud your files in cement! ‘Dead Drops’ is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space.
‘Dead Drops’ is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space. USB flash drives are embedded into walls, buildings and curbs accessible to anybody in public space. Everyone is invited to drop or find files on a dead drop. Plug your laptop to a wall, house or pole to share your favorite files and data. Each dead drop is installed empty except a readme.txt file explaining the project. ‘Dead Drops’ is open to participation. If you want to install a dead drop in your city/neighborhood follow the ‘how to’ instructions and submit the location and pictures.
I am a Berlin based media artist and started the ‘Dead Drops’ project during my stay in NYC at EYEBEAM as artist in residence, October 2010. Dead Drops was part of the show “Talk to Me” at the MoMa July-Nov 2011.
Aram Bartholl 2010
Dead Drops ‘How to’ video
The first 5 Dead Drops were installed by Aram Bartholl in NYC, Oct. 2010.
Prefer YouTube? -> youtube.com/watch?v=hwohadcUv4A
- Definition of the term Dead drop (Wikipedia)
- Initial Dead Drops preview release post (with 300++ hilarious comments!)
- 1st 5 Dead Drops NYC flickr set
DeadDrops database
Database browsing full size window
The first 5 Dead Drops were installed by Aram Bartholl in NYC, October 2010
87 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (Makerbot)
Empire Fulton Ferry Park, Brooklyn, NY (Dumbo)
235 Bowery, NY (New Museum)
Union Square, NY (Subway Station 14th St)
540 West 21st Street, NY (Eyebeam)
Dead Drops picture set on flickr
295 responses to “About”
Have you not heard of torrents?!
He HAS heard of torrents, but it’s had it’s problems. Hence out-of-the-box thinking is needed so now you’re looking at one example of it.
Je veux en faire un !
You can get a USB extension cable to connect the laptop to the USB drive
No need to lean like that while copying contents .
Wonderful idea for those of us with desktop computers rather than laptops. With the issues brought about by the lack of any easy trackability, we can be sure no malicious or illegal content will ever be on these devices. I think it’s a wonderful idea that doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel at all, and certainly doesn’t introduce a whole load of problems without adding any real benefits.
Well, gotta get this thing going! I’m off to deface a few buildings – I’m sure the owners won’t mind seeing as it’s for a good cause. :)
Hey, we should also place wooden boxes here and there in which people can drop stuff that, you know, with any luck, will be of some use to someone, some day, for some reason… People Power!
once again art shows itself to be a waste of time that draws idealists away from productive ideas…