Our October 2022 grant has been awarded to Jordan Seiler's Talk to Me, a network of 5 public "payphones" located in each of the 5 boroughs, that only call each other. Participants who pick up a TTM receiver set the other 4 ringing, inviting passing New Yorkers to answer the call. Upon connection, two unsuspecting strangers are thrust into conversation and left to navigate a serendipitous interaction with their neighbor.

A social sculpture activated by the citizens of New York City, Talk To Me aims to weave itself deep into the fabric of the city by recognizing the transformative power of talking to strangers. By simply stopping us in our tracks, exciting our collective imagination, and forcing us to share an experience with another human, Talk To Me acts to build empathy between citizens as they move through their city.

AwesomeNYC's grant will be used to maintain the existing network, grow the number of booths around NYC and beyond, add other participatory functions, and most importantly, develop a long term plan for the future of the project.

The Talk To Me network is an artist-run project that began in June 2022 and hopes to find long term sustainability as a part of NYC's social infrastructure over the next several years. If you are interested in supporting the project, getting involved, or just knowing more, please visit www.talktomenyc.com or contact Jordan Seiler directly at jordan@publicadcampaing.com.