Hertzian Waves
Invisible topographies (2004)
by Usman Haque
Mobile phones are not only communication tools, but also sensors of the invisible electromagnetic environment that surrounds us, making us aware of what has been called “hertzian” space. London-based architect Usman Haque, who designs interactive architecture systems and researches how people relate to each other and their spaces, introduces us to hertzian space: his art project Sky Ear reveals the richness of our electromagnetic habitat.
Tuneable Cities (1998)
by Anthony Dunne & Fiona Raby
Whereas ‘cyberspace’ is a metaphor that spatialises what happens in computers distributed around the world, hertzian space is actual and physical even though our senses detect only a tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Images of footprint’s of satellite TV transmissions in relation to the surface of the earth, and computer models showing cellular phone propagation in relation to urban environments, reveal that hertzian space is not isotropic but has an ‘electroclimate’ defined by wavelength, frequency and field strength. Interaction with the natural and artificial landscape creates a hybrid landscape of shadows, reflections, and hot points.