Operation Urban Terrain (OUT) was a one-night, live-action intervention of online military games, which was played out in public spaces. Artist Anne-Marie Schleiner and a cohort, clad in futuristic military garb, took to the streets carrying a projector and a laptop. Schleiner was connected to an online team of five game players—in various global locations—who simultaneously intervened in a popular online military simulation game via performance actions, which ranged from simulated grenade suicides to absurd dances. The artist projected the revised game onto New York City buildings.

OUT functioned as a critique of increased military intrusion in civilian life since 9/11 and was presented on the eve of the Republican National Convention. The project further confronted the dual reality of these games, raising important questions about their social implications, as well as underscoring the danger of blurring boundaries between what is entertainment and what is “real.”

Anne-Marie Schleiner

Operation Urban Terrain (OUT)

Multiple Locations

2004