Cities In The Dark is a London based collective exploring aspects of human dynamism in relation to lo-fi interfaces between humans and their technological environment. Predominantly involving bicycles, electronics, video and DIY engineering, our journey has taken us from our beginnings in mid 2008 organizing urban power cut events in the East end of London through to gallery installations and bike races in Uganda.
Our first project called Dis-con-nected, was a series of events where we turned off the power in venues and harnessed human energy through bicycles to generate electricity for light and sound. In these electrically autonomous spaces the audience made the music and light happen; the busier the room got the brighter and louder the party became.
In July 2009 CITD took a bike-powered cinema around rural villages in Uganda where there is no electricity. We staged a bike race crossing the Equator with the local Boda Boda riders (bicycle taxis). In November 2009 at HIVE project space, Whitechapel, we exhibited an installation documenting the Ugandan race with a short video piece and a series of bicycle powered light boxes.
We have just finished building a prototype dekochari bike that lights up the night.
The commissioned "Velotone"-a pedal powered sequencer and ocillator, is now operational and ready for testing.
The heartbeat-responsive-light-suit is nearly completed and will be previewed shortly.
The 'Starter' dekochari bike for the 2010 Boda Boda race in Uganda is under construction.
Cities in the Dark is Charlie Hope, Paddy Austin & Dan Austin (no relation)