Image source: vogue.it
In the 10-minute clip promoting artist Miranda July’s Somebody app, released last week, a lone female diner is approached by a waitress who delivers a marriage proposal on behalf of a rakish boyfriend before the two women kiss. Onlookers applaud.
In the highly regulated schema of modern life, the moment reflects the ethos of the app in its capacity to create unexpected interactions between strangers. Once users download the app (iPhone only), they can send messages to any of their friends on the system. Instead of being sent directly to the friend, the message is sent to another person on the system who is in physical proximity to the friend. The message is then delivered in person by the stranger to the friend.
