R.A.T.I.S.M. tourist information service

Just as the twentieth century needed new forms of Art so too does the twenty- first century need new forms of leisure. To this end SPART – The Ultimate Hybridisation of Sport and Art and therefore the most evolved form of leisure on the planet – seeks to aid the would-be tourist in their quest for fulfilment within the capitalist sphere of consumption.

The average twenty-first century tourist face challenges. They are lost somewhere in a landscape of media generated fears and their lustful desires for fulfilment via the consumption of ‘stuff’. When exploring a new city twenty-first century tourists don’t really want to visit Art Museums, Cathedrals and Zoos. What Twenty-first century tourists actually want to know is:

  • Where do all the beautiful people hang out?

  • Where can I hear music by local bands?

  • Where am I most likely to meet a sexy local stranger?

  • Where are the best independent places to eat?

  • Who are the best local tattoo artists to get a tattoo from?

  • What local DIY Art events are happening?

They want all of this and much more.

SPART Action Group recognise this desire in twenty-first century tourists and therefore wish to help them by creating a free, interactive machine that will dispense this alternative tourist information randomly via SMS messaging. The machine  displayed in a public space is called R.A.T.I.S.M. (Random Alternative Tourist Information Service Machine) named in honour of the Rat to denote a certain kind of life-style, the information given out by this machine costs no more than the charge levied by the users mobile service provider for text messaging. The information dispensed by the machine is also be displayed on an LCD display on the machine to encourage others to interact with it.

R.A.T.I.S.M. will be available to use at Pyörakeskus container in Narinkkatori/Lasipalatsi beginning on 17 September. From this date through the 27th, you can interact with R.A.T.I.S.M. by sending an SMS - details will be announced then.