Operation Urban Terrain (OUT)
Anne-Marie Schleiner
August 28, 2004
Fifth Avenue and 45th Street; Dumbo, Brooklyn; 125th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue
Photo © 2004 Anne-Marie Schleiner
Operation Urban Terrain (OUT) was a one-night intervention of online military games played out in public spaces by Anne-Marie Schleiner using high-tech gear, strategy, and humor. Schleiner and her partner Elke Marhoefer, clad in futuristic military garb designed by the artist, roamed the street carrying a projector and a laptop, connected through a mobile wireless bicycle to an online team of five game players located in various global locations. The team intervened on servers in a popular online military simulation game with performance actions—simulated grenade suicides, propaganda, and playful and absurd dance performances. The revised game was projected live onto city buildings, allowing spectators to view the project at the sites or through webcams on the OUT website. The project was deployed specifically on August 28—the eve of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City.
OUT confronted the dual reality of military training games, raising important questions about their social implications and underscoring the danger of blurring boundaries between what is entertainment and what is “real.” OUT also critiqued the increasing militarization of civilian life since 9/11, from the implementation of The Patriot Act to surveillance of private and public spaces to the increased powers assumed by the military.
Supported by the Lyn Blumenthal Memorial Fund Challenge to the Field Award and Creative Time.
