I am interested in creating a piece that plays with our attraction to technology & its plights. Like a great courtesan, technology is supremely seductive but often what we think is there for our pleasure is in fact only part of a slick machine to rip us off. Meta Hari makes that relationship explicit. In form she is a lovely & delicate marionette. But in action she will use every manipulative trick in the book to bend you to her desire.

-Send a text & Meta Hari will awaken, telling you how pleased she is to see you.

-Meta Hari requests your credit card number & expiration date. If refused she’ll happily settle for a social security number.

-If you don’t provide what she wants, she will try anger, scorn, pity - anything to get you to submit to her desire.

-Finally, in a rage she will jam your cell phone & go back to sleep.

All the early interactions are designed to play off our tendency to anthropomorphize our interactions with computers. It is analogous to the myth of the prostitute with a heart of gold - with others it is strictly business but with you, uniquely you, perhaps it is more. Meta Hari seduces only in order to take, which was of course her purpose all along.


First there is the story of the real Mata Hari & her sad, short life:
http://www.herner.hu/daniel/mata_hari_gallery.html

The cell phone jamming technology is care of Lady Ada\'s Wave Bubble:
http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/prep.htmlogical

Inspiration from these home made slot machines:
http://www.underthepier.com/

Anyone with a cell phone

The user approaches Meta Hari who is \'asleep\'. Texting Meta Hari wakes her up & she begins to coo & complement her visitor. Soon she asks them to text her again with their credit card info. If she doesn\'t receive it she is willing to settle for a social security number. In the end no matter what they give her she rages at the visitors cruel insensitivity towards her & jams their cell phone for a minute or two.

The Meta Hari marionette is made of wire & servo motors. Her voices is driven by Max/Jitter. Phone jamming is care of the Wave Bubble

I\'m very curious to see how people interact w her. If they will in fact respond to her entreaties.

Working with metal is rough on the hands...