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## Monument (If it Bleeds, it Leads) (2006)

by Caleb Larsen

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In this piece a computer program continuously scans the headlines of 4,500 English-language news sources around the world, looking for people who have been reported killed. Each time it finds an article, an algorithm determines the number of deaths, and instructs a ceiling-mounted mechanism built from Legos to drop one yellow BB per person. During the course of the installation, BBs will accumulate on the floor, contributing to an ever-growing constellation, ultimately forming a sort of monument. At the beginning of an installation the pellets will be sparsely scattered around the space, and by the end they will form a dense and chaotic arrangement, with errant BBs traveling throughout the environment.

Tags: Caleb Larsen Database Documentary Google News Internet news.google.com Perl

###### Full Description

In this piece a computer program continuously scans the headlines of 4,500 English-language news sources around the world, looking for people who have been reported killed. Each time it finds an article, an algorithm determines the number of deaths, and instructs a ceiling-mounted mechanism built from Legos to drop one yellow BB per person. During the course of the installation, BBs will accumulate on the floor, contributing to an ever-growing constellation, ultimately forming a sort of monument. At the beginning of an installation the pellets will be sparsely scattered around the space, and by the end they will form a dense and chaotic constellation, with errant BBs traveling throughout the environment.

###### Work metadata

- Year Created: 2006
- Submitted to ArtBase: Saturday Aug 26th, 2006
- Original Url: http://caleblarsen.com/Projects/Monument_If_it_Bleeds_it_Leads.html
- Permalink: http://caleblarsen.com/Projects/Monument_If_it_Bleeds_it_Leads.html
- Work Credits:
  - Caleb Larsen, creator

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###### Artist Statement

In this piece a computer program continuously scans the headlines of 4,500 English-language news sources around the world, looking for people who have been reported killed. Each time it finds an article, an algorithm determines the number of deaths, and instructs a ceiling-mounted mechanism built from Legos to drop one yellow BB per person. During the course of the installation, BBs will accumulate on the floor, contributing to an ever-growing constellation, ultimately forming a sort of monument. At the beginning of an installation the pellets will be sparsely scattered around the space, and by the end they will form a dense and chaotic constellation, with errant BBs traveling throughout the environment.

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