Wanting to highlight the impact of virtual services on the "physical world", Otherwise Weckert, a Berlin artist, played a funny trick on Google's mapping service.
In general terms, Google Maps calculates the number of users on a road axis to assess the traffic density.
Depending on this, the site displays the streets in orange or red if there is a high concentration to warn motorists. Google therefore offers users a new route.
On the strength of this observation, Simon Weckert had the idea of placing 99 smartphones in a cart before traveling the streets of Berlin. Beforehand, it obviously activated navigation on all devices.
Google Maps' reaction was quick. Not surprisingly, this service quickly considered the streets used in Berlin by Weckert as difficult to access when they were practically empty, as can be seen in the photos and the video on its site.
"It is possible to turn a green street red," explains the artist, adding: "Google Maps makes virtual changes to the real city. Maps based on Google simulations determine the actuality and perception of physical spaces. " To meditate !
