Is this art? Call centre becomes live art installation

NG Bailey teams up with artist for 'mind-bendingly wonderful' call-centre exhibit in London gallery

NG Bailey's IT Services division has completed its "most unusual" IT project ever after teaming up with an artist to install a fully functioning call centre as the basis of a live art exhibit.

The firm teamed up with performance-based artist Naomi Fitzsimmons for the Switchboard exhibit in south London gallery Bearspace.

The piece (pictured) consisted of a fully functioning call centre which the audience interacted with during the performance. Fitzsimmons said the exhibit is a "metaphor for all the systematic activity that takes place between events".

The installation comprised 10 call-centre units, of which seven were occupied by actors who answered the phones to members of the audience who called in. The call centre ran on Mitel technology installed by NG Bailey.

The services firm's head of new business Scott Baker said: "This is one in the eye for anyone who thinks that techies have no artistic flair. Sure, we did gain some satisfaction from deploying a complex adaptation of a Mitel 3300, but that's beside the point. The end result was mind-bendingly wonderful. I doubt I'll ever look at a call centre in quite the same way again."

Artist Fitzsimmons added: "Is it limbo, purgatory or simply a comment on the repetitive and pointless nature of everyday bureaucracy? Whatever it is, NG Bailey's support throughout the planning and set-up of Switchboard was fundamental to its success. I think the guys enjoyed the experience; it was certainly a break from the norm!"