"Google Street View"

Remember the afternoons spent scrolling Google Earth ^[1], hunting for something out of the ordinary within the view of something familiar?

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Maybe it was your school, your neighborhood, or the path you walked home. If you’re late Gen Z, this might sound like ancient history. But back in 2005, it all started with Larry Page’s Rat Trap-rigged “Street View van” ^[2] venturing around San Francisco to test their new idea. The photos didn’t go public, but by 2007, the first street view images were launched across four cities, including Miami. It felt like magic, a kid inside a video game. Dragging the little yellow man anywhere you wanted. Even in places you weren't allowed to go to. Seeing your world from a new angle, zooming in, zooming out. 20 years later, and we can now time-travel through Street View ^[3]. Wild, right?

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But let’s talk about the weird stuff. The mistakes, the nudity, the chaos. The shit Google "accidentally" left in the pictures. German artist Michael Wolf ^[4] leaned into this with his project titled, 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'. He spent hours trolling Google Street View for accidental moments from car crashes, fights, and tragedies. Then, he’d crop the image, photograph his screen, and curate it as his own. A bit genius. It’s like Street View became a collaborative art project (controversial one) for Wolf without even realizing it.  Give us more Mr. Wolf, we want more.