Not A Number is a moving image project that explores the afterlife functionality of the iconic red phone booths in London. Once symbols of UK communication and cultural identity, these booths have evolved into passive repositories of human presence, layered with graffiti, faded ads, and tourist encounters. The film seeks to capture their existence in this liminal state, their soul suspended in a parallel realm, perhaps a kind of phone booth heaven or hell. It stands as a tribute- a sincere reflection on their former significance and a celebration of their transformed role in the urban landscape.

Using ChatGPT to assist with p5.js, I programmed a visual system that isolates red pixels from live video which often highlights the red phone booths scattered across the city. This approach serves as both a literal and symbolic gesture, drawing attention to their fading yet persistent presence within the urban environment. The processed footage was then assembled into a short film, where rhythm, motion, music and slow visual degradation echo the booths’ gradual decline and lingering cultural resonance.

In code, “NaN” stands for “Not a Number” — an undefined value, an error. During development, I frequently encountered this message in place of expected pixel data. Rather than treating it as a mistake, I embraced it as a conceptual anchor. The idea of something undefined, no longer serving its original function, mirrored the status of the phone booths themselves being present, but no longer fully understood or utilized.

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@yufitt is a graphic and media designer based in London, UK, and a graduate of the London College of Communication, UAL. His practice blends digital, AI-driven, and analogue methods to craft audio-visual narratives that evoke new emotional and sensory experiences for the audience.