Since the 1970s, with the advent of satellite technology (even before the Internet), artists have been exploringa third space as an environment for art making and live events. One of the most important works of art was the "Hole in Space" by American artists Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz, who in 1980 established a remote embrace in a third space by connecting New York and California via satellite before anyone could witness a video conference. This unannounced effort invited passersby to stand in front of a large screen and communicate with people 3,000 miles away.
This experiment demonstrates how early telecommunications infrastructure connected people communicating across long distances in two places. I was surprised that the public learned the use of the device without any instruction and quickly spread the word among the group. But in the 1980s, broadband speed was a major factor in how to achieve real-time public communication from place to place. This experiment is like the prototype of our current interactive communication in real time using facetime or zoom.
