Ambient urban interludes: passing glances

INTRODUCTION This paper describes a system in which transient audience participants co-create emergent narratives that are revealed in public space. Passing Glances enables users to create these ambient urban interludes through the use of SMS text messages. The Passing Glances system contains a wealth of keyword-associated imagery that is stored ‘in the city’. Images are revealed to the transient audiences when SMS message keywords trigger the system. The mobile phone therefore acts as an expressive device revealing hidden layers of the city to construct short-lived stories.