thoughts about ars
Our visit at Ars Electronica was very insightful. I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed by many projects shown there. In terms of interactive works (with a direct feedback) I very often saw the same principles repeating over and over again. These were:
- distorting mirror (i.e. all matrix-physical pixel works)
- digital musical instrument
- very simple interaction input, (complex) digital output
- digital drawing pen
- a better video/piece of music (control the speed etc)
- synaesthetic work. transforming sound into light or the other way round...
Of course these observations are not complete and formal only, but many works really were not much more than that. So looking at works in the exhibition mostly felt like an exhibition of technical phenomena: Look and try out - understand - play a little - done! also I had the feeling many works were principally very simple, in terms of which (inter)actions are actually performed.
I tried to figure which works struck me and why they did it (not only ars):
- images work great in general (photography, video)
- strong personal/bodily involvement (toisho iwai's 2frame animations, omnivisu, jussi's bodyscanner)
- more than one possibilites of interaction (outerspace, computergames)
- behaviour (outerspace)
- space for interpretation (outerspace)
- collaboration (Ape BOT by lara greene, LED throwies)
- storytelling (office life)
Out of this I realized that my original approach for the diploma definitely is an issue in this area and I return to it, seeing it almost as basic research:
"To communicate with the specific forms of expression of digital media in an emotionally experiancable way."
"... But especially the media-specific forms of expression (interactivity, generativity, connectivity) are rarely used to communicate emotional content. For this, designers usually use existing forms of expression from other media (film, photography etc...). The work's main focus is to reach people with the media of digital design in an emotional (experiencable) way."
very insightful as well: the interview with andy cameron on wmmna especially these points:
- what is a good project?
- "play" as the secret ingredient
- distorting mirror (i.e. all matrix-physical pixel works)
- digital musical instrument
- very simple interaction input, (complex) digital output
- digital drawing pen
- a better video/piece of music (control the speed etc)
- synaesthetic work. transforming sound into light or the other way round...
Of course these observations are not complete and formal only, but many works really were not much more than that. So looking at works in the exhibition mostly felt like an exhibition of technical phenomena: Look and try out - understand - play a little - done! also I had the feeling many works were principally very simple, in terms of which (inter)actions are actually performed.
I tried to figure which works struck me and why they did it (not only ars):
- images work great in general (photography, video)
- strong personal/bodily involvement (toisho iwai's 2frame animations, omnivisu, jussi's bodyscanner)
- more than one possibilites of interaction (outerspace, computergames)
- behaviour (outerspace)
- space for interpretation (outerspace)
- collaboration (Ape BOT by lara greene, LED throwies)
- storytelling (office life)
Out of this I realized that my original approach for the diploma definitely is an issue in this area and I return to it, seeing it almost as basic research:
"To communicate with the specific forms of expression of digital media in an emotionally experiancable way."
"... But especially the media-specific forms of expression (interactivity, generativity, connectivity) are rarely used to communicate emotional content. For this, designers usually use existing forms of expression from other media (film, photography etc...). The work's main focus is to reach people with the media of digital design in an emotional (experiencable) way."
very insightful as well: the interview with andy cameron on wmmna especially these points:
- what is a good project?
- "play" as the secret ingredient