A Server is in fact a Mountain that Takes a Village is a permanent installation at post-office, a communally maintained co-operative art- and work space in Amsterdam.
The work mostly revolves around mntain, a small server that is communally managed by post-office's members and an e-ink display which is visible from outside the space.
One of the core features is the mailbox (get it, it's a post office), a public folder where members can drop and exchange files when they are logged into the Wi-fi there. While anything can be dropped and shared, whenever someone drops an image, it will automatically be sent to the e-ink display, allowing members to communicate what's currently going on to the outside world. A mirror of the display is displayed on post-office's website at all times. In order to encourage communication and collective management of what's on display, the mailbox is only available when two or more people are physically present in the space.
Images that are exposed to the outside world on the billboard will eventually start to "mold"—black artifacts will start growing and will slowly corrupt the image file with increasing speed. This is irreversible, and the only remedy is to upload a new image. The idea is to create an incentive for members to continually use and interact with the device.
Installation view. All photos by Tommy Smits.
mntain close up.
While the image is being updated, the server glows red to alert all members of the change.
Closeup of custom printed shrink sleeves.
Backside of adjustable screen.
Over time, exposed images start molding.
Black artifacts will start growing and will slowly corrupt the image file with increasing speed.
This is irreversible, and the only remedy is to upload a new image.
The idea is to create an incentive for members to continually use and interact with the device.
The e-ink display, seen from the outside.