UK design/art collective Troika wowed the crowd at the Design Indaba in Cape Town with its cheeky computer programme Newton Virus, which allows gravity to take effect upon unwitting desktops (but without damaging any files)...

The programme, which is explained in the film below, has been around for a while now, though Troika explained they are currently working on a new version after Apple recently intercepted them.

Troika also talked in detail about their installation projects for Heathrow Terminal 5’s opening in London in 2008, in particular The Cloud, a sculpture that utilises old signage technology from airports to create an animated piece of art. More can be read on it here.

While discussing the work, the group raised an interesting point about how such projects are imparted to the public. Two films were shown – one made by Troika that simply shows the sculpture in action, shown below, which has garnered over 500,000 views on YouTube….

… and another, more official-looking film made by BA, which explains the project in far more detail, but in an ultimately dry and corporate fashion.

This, tellingly, has only had 29,000 views on YouTube. Perhaps this suggests it is time to revitalise the way these ‘behind-the-scenes’ films are made, in order to reach wider audiences? Ad agencies, who are famed for painful case studies for commercials, should take note…

troika.uk.com