World X Diagnostics by Megan Michalak and Stephanie Rothenberg :: August 13-27, 2009 :: Opening: August 13; 6:00 – midnight :: Harvestworks, NYC :: Public Launch: August 15, 2009; noon – 3:00 pm :: Finland.

World X Diagnostics is a revolutionary system that evaluates and diagnoses citizen responses to socio-economic conditions resulting from the global economic meltdown. Public data measuring gross national well being is collected from participating users and translated into real time sound frequencies through programmed algorithms. Through the system’s network, users are able to access the compiled data from their geographical region, as well as from any location on the globe. Real time sound frequencies sonify collective malaise, well being and outrage through a series of durational chords and tones produced by a sound output module. The interpretative data will serve as evaluative material for restructuring global resources following the traumatic collapse.

World X Diagnostics emerged from a coalition of outraged citizens frustrated with government responses to the crisis. Tremors of this global discontent could be found as early as 2000, in protests in France, the US, and the UK where economic students circulated petitions denouncing economics as an “autistic science.” Major newspapers and magazines gave extensive coverage to the students’ struggle launching the “Post-Autistic Economics movement.” Similar criticisms can be found in the Ecological Economics movement that question the sustainability of standard economic practices assuming unlimited growth, expansion, and profit. In contrast organizations such as the New Economics Foundation has developed the Happy Planet Index, which is designed to challenge well-established indices of national development such as the Gross Domestic Planet and the Human Development Index. World X Diagnostics calls upon citizens to reconsider these economic models and imagine future possibilities for reform.

The public launch of World X Diagnostics will occur August 13-27, 2009. Finland will be the first country to beta test the system as users will be able to participate in the survey that inputs user responses at Gallery Titanik in Turku, Finland. The sonic translation of their responses will be heard in New York City at Harvestworks where the sound output module will be located. Using a live Internet stream, the audio will be re-transmitted back to Turku filling Titanik Gallery with sound.

If you are in Finland and would like to participate in the survey Gallery Titanik will be open August 13-27 from 12:00-18:00 with an opening Thursday, August 13 from 18:00-24:00.

For those in the NYC metropolitan area and surrounding vicinity Harvestworks will be open to the public for public viewing and listening of the sonic output module on Saturday August 15, Noon – 3PM.