Formamat is an interactive installation, art piece and scientific-philosophical inquiry taking up the question what value we attach to digital data that we have stored on our mobile storage devices. With the Formamat - a vending machine that returns candies in exchange for the deletion of digital data from users mobile storage device- we invite people to experience the joy of deletion and encourage them to think about the value and (in-)dispensability of
their files while also researching the subject in a broader sense by storing and analyzing their deletion-behavior.
More and more digital data is heaped every day and we buy bigger and faster storage devices, but do we really need all this information, or is there an issue with deletion? Do we lack deletion criteria or digital deletion doesn’t provide feeling of closure or joy? Formamat
serves as a decision catalyst translating the value of file into amount of chocolate candies. A dynamic formula that combines clash between personal and public pricing strategies determines how much candy a file is worth. Intriguing tension between peoples’ wish to get a lot of chocolate and the unwillingness to give up their data is created. Inviting and attractive interface with funny dialogs and simple explanations makes file deletion an exciting experience for Formamat users.