This next iteration of New Earth Hotline is an interactive art work by San Francisco based artist Cole Ryder whose work straddles the worlds of design and conceptual art. Ryder's practice often deploys open source methodologies to generate unpredictable group narratives. The reflexive nature and playful irony of his work unearths absurdity in common human conventions.

In 2023, Ryder produced the initial New Earth Hotline in the streets of San Francisco, experimenting with techniques in virality through the analog format of wheat pasting posters that contained a strong call to action, urging pedestrians to CALL THIS NUMBER NOW!

Callers to the New Earth Hotline are prompted to leave a message declaring at least one thing they know to be true, resulting in a collection of truths from anonymous participants curious enough to call the number. For the 2024 hotline, flyers have been deployed in the town of Ojai in a new regional experiment.

Ojai, beyond being Ryder’s hometown, has a unique contained geography which presents itself as a special site for the hotline in that it reveals a specific sampling of localized “truths”. The insular boundaries of the valley ensure the spread of rapid information, calling attention to the meaning of virality outside of the digital scape. By collecting people’s truths in Ojai, New Earth Hotline becomes both an anonymous and incredibly intimate presentation of the beliefs held by neighbors, friends, and strangers in a small town.

In addition to flyers, a special “Truth Booth” will be presented on September 15th at Spore Space to record truths from the general public.

The culminating collection of truths will be presented at Spore Space in the format of an audio-visual installation suited to 2-3 people at a time. New Earth Hotline  will be the first presentation of Ryder’s work in Ojai since completing his MFA degree at the California College of Arts in 2024. His work looks to contribute to a stranger and kinder future.