Textaport is a publicly generated teleporting game at Caro d'Offay Gallery in which a descriptive text is made available for participants.  This text has all information necessary to interpret a mystery item back into reality from any location. Working to manifest a mysterious form or painting back its original form, Textaport offers participants and observers the experience of perceiving something familiar as unfamiliar, as if one had amnesia.

Textaport examines the expression and interpretation of communication as revealed by the relationship between the two concepts comprising the word: language (specifically scripted language) and teleportation. The teleportation aspect of the project illustrates a transition from one point to another. The communication half is the reason we are interested. Text (or language) is a highly interpretative medium that we rely on for communication in many forms. The interpretation of text functions as a vehicle to carry the participant and observers through the disoriented state of the unknown and undefined.

For example, what might the brain perceive when passing through the old Sci-Fi version of teleportation?

When the body dematerializes from one location and rematerializes at another, what would the brain experience as the senses pass from one environment (with its particular set of environmental attributes) into a new one (with its new set of sensory information)? Textaport explores this mental space.

How does Textaport work?

An object is described, written into text, and then hidden and locked in the Mystery Box (picture to left). When participants sign-up, they receive the text description and the materials list. The list usually consists of basic materials such as Elmer’s glue, some tape or pins and any cardboard lying around the house or studio or found outside (but not purchased) and usually some paint. The participant uses the text description to recreate the original object.

Example:
In the case of Danny Mansmith’s “Enlarged Utility Gloves” in October 2007, the text description specified that the object be scaled up to 24 times larger than the original size, that the artist could only use materials donated by the public, a stapler, and his sewing machine.

Starting with an empty gallery, only the word “Textaport” silkscreened on the back wall and the locked Mystery Box positioned next to the window, the public brings in found and reused green-colored materials. Mansmith works from the text description, estimating one or two days to complete the object. With no clues as to the identity of the object he is creating, Mansmith reads, measures, cuts, and sews to construct and interpret the three pages of text.

Still unaware of the gloves in the box, Mansmith beings to construct the cuffs and fingers of the gloves, guided by the descriptions: “...16 tubes,” “32 half-circles to sew together and attach to the ends of the tubes,” and “4 large squatty, open-ended tubes...”

On the eighth day he constructs the final object (the packaging of the gloves) and then assembles all of the units. Still unsure about what he’s produced he leaves a gallery intern with instructions to stuff the tubes so that he can return to complete the object the next morning. I receive a phone call from the artist on his way home that evening saying, “I think I’m constructing a huge pair of rubber gloves.” I only tell him he is probably close. Mansmith arrives the next morning. I unlock the box to reveal the original source as the two-pack of utility gloves. He laughs as he observes the fully emerged version he built in the 30-foot space.

Along with these gloves, various interpretations come in through the mail and others via email. A few sets from Romania, one from England, and several from various US cities can be seen here.

How many people can participate?

It depends on the location. Anyone from anywhere in the world can sign up to receive the text by email. There is no limit to how many remote participants can join in. If local, the number of participants is limited to the number of locations we can provide. Artwalks can accommodate ten to twenty artists, and some spaces like Colori and Letterspace to invite groups to work. Whether a participant is in a different country or participating at the local Textaport Artwalk, they recreate the object as literally as they can. If local, the project takes place within a certain time frame (in real time). Live events usually last one to three hours.
What happens when participants finish?

When participants finish an object, it is packed up, and if they’re local the object is brought to the gallery to be placed on the table next to the Mystery Box. Remote participants mail it in and wait for us to publish the images on the website.

When is the object unveiled?

As people finish up and arrive at the gallery, we drink Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat beer, listen to music, and try to be patient until the last person shows up. The box is then unlocked and the original object is revealed. Remote participants wait until it is published on the website.