For PICNIC in September we’re looking into ways to make people meet each other. And to make meeting less scary. That, mixed with chatroulette became an idea to have a load of old phones hanging from the sky at two places, connected over a large distance, so you can talk to any stranger. What might lead to a meeting and maybe a drink or something more. At An Amsterdam PICNIC @ WCIT 2010 everything was there, thanks to some PICNIC team members and the crew building everything — and it just worked! Amazing! It instantly makes you feel you’re part of a LOST episode.

In it’s essence, the installation really represents what PICNIC is: PICNIC brings together a wide variety of people with different motivations and backgrounds to find creative new solutions for business and society. Chance encounters, surprise and serendipity are crucial to cultivating these new and unexpected ideas. So, this installation is a physical manifestation of PICNIC’s goals – to create new ideas and partnerships out of unexpected encounters. Grab a phone and start a conversation with a stranger. You don’t know who it will be and what it might lead to – but that’s part of the fun.

A special thanks to Houweling Telecom Museum for helping make this installation possible.