My Three Words Global Gallery

A Collaborative Research and Development Project

My Three Words Global Gallery was a research and development project created through a collaboration between IOU, Sound & Word Network, The Arc Project and NOVARS research centre at Manchester University. 

The aim was to create an international collaborative multimedia digital project which linked artworks to specific what3words locations, had a globe map as its main interface and was accessible via a website without the need to download a proprietary app. 

The project springboard came from Francesca Le Lohé of Sound and Word Network in wanting to develop a global gallery which used a globe as a map to pinpoint multimedia artworks linked to specific what3words locations. 

Francesca contacted IOU after seeing the recent work on My Three Words Goole which also utilised what3words locations to link multimedia artworks to specific locations in Goole.

The project idea was then taken to a Createch event at Manchester University to find funding and further partners to help develop the web implementation of the map. The outcome of this event was the acquisition of seed funding to build a pilot of the map and also a development partner in NOVARS at Manchester University. The seed funding was used to cover development and hosting costs as well as commissioning 10 artworks from Manchester University students for the pilot project.

Below are two examples of artists submissions

My Three Words Goole

My Three Words was an original IOU production that brought together digital artworks with physical spaces in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, commissioned by Junction to celebrate its home town of Goole

Designed to encourage creativity during lockdown, My Three Words used the mapping platform What3Words to create links between online digital artworks and real physical spaces. What3Words divides the entire planet up into 3m x 3m squares with each one identified by a unique three word coordinate.

For My Three Words artists and communities were invited to create artwork inspired by their favourite sites in Goole, using the What3Words three word coordinates.

See more about My Three Words Goole and the artists that participated 

My Three Words Global Gallery Technical Development

The map was based on existing software SonicMaps and had custom features added by the developer Ignacio Pecino to fit the needs of the project. These included:

  • Incorporating interactive media, links and assets into the map at a pinpoint location.
  • When a map pinpoint is clicked on information appears inside the maps UI. 
  • Ensuring the user does not need to navigate to another web page; everything is carried out inside the map application.
  • Backend to monitor and approve applications
  • Incorporating the what3words location system into the map.

The colourway of the map design aimed to allow clear differentiation of colour and utilised higher contrast elements.

'My Three Words Global provided a great opportunity for myself and IOU to work with academics to find innovative technical solutions to artistic challenges'
Loui Binns, IOU Technical Manager