‘Alerting infrastructure’ is a physical hit counter that translates hits to the website of an organisation into interior damage of the physical building that they inhabit. Each unique visitor “hit” is translated into physical output in the form of activating a large, pneumatic jackhammer on a wall in the exhibition-space.
Chris Burden talking about his museum installation ‘Samson’ (1985), with added VHS-eighties-please-adjust-your-television effects.
A museum installation consisting of a 100-ton jack connected to a gear box and a turnstile. The 100-ton jack pushes two large timbers against the bearing walls of the museum. Each visitor to the museum must pass through the turnstile in order to see the exhibition. Each input on the turnstile ever so slightly expands the jack, and ultimately if enough people visit the exhibition, SAMSON could theoretically destroy the building.
