online interactive art

online interactive art

Today I will be talking about online collaborative/interactive art in relation to it being an example of produsage.

Produsage is defined as “the collaborative and continuous building and extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement.” (Snurdb, 2007, ¶1)

The history of collaboration art can be dated back to the Medieval times where Medieval artists were mostly anonymous working within a community of artists and craftspeople.

The history of online collaboration can be dated back to 1986 with first recordings of group projects created by WELL (Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link) from BBS. An extension of WELL was created called the ACEN (Art Com Electronic Network) as a space where artists could electronically exchange, collaborate and interact. Not only are these sites platforms for collaboration but also for social networking. However the ACEN is not open to the public and is limited to paying members. They do support open participation and organisation including…

Online collaboration art is classified as new media art as it “…combines the three Cs: Computing, Communication and Content.” (Miles, 1997; Rice, 1999; Barry, 2000 quoted by Flew, 2002, p.2) New media art can range from conceptual to virtual art and from performance work to instillation pieces. (Wikipedia, 2005)

The accurate history of new media art has not been documented due its continual development over multiples domains and can only be describe as a culmination of the history of technology, computer science and art. (Snow et al, 2005, 3)

The most highly discussed new type of art is online collaborated art (also known as net art), between groups of artists to create a new media work/performance/event/project. (Manovich, 2004, 2) In many cases there is no definite outcome of the work but is continually being added to.

Specific Features of net art include

• Formation of communities of artists across nations and disciplines
• Investment without material interest
• Collaboration without consideration of appropriation of ideas
• Privileging communication over representation
• Immediacy
• Immateriality
• Temporality
• Process based action
• Play and performance without concern or fear of historical consequences
• Parasitism as Strategy
a. Movement from initial feeding ground of the net
b. Expansion into real life networked infrastructures
• Vanishing boundaries between private and public
• All in One:
a. Internet as a medium for production, publication, distribution, promotion, dialogue, consumption and critique
b. Disintegration and mutation of artist, curator, pen-pal, audience, gallery, theorist, art collector, and museum

Source: Bookchin, N., Shulgin, Alexei., (1999) Introduction to net art,
http://www.easylife.org/netart/catalogue.html (accessed 09.05.08)

The term ‘collaborating’ is a misconception as there is no defined author and user. The user is not, in a sense, collaborating with anyone, as they come to the work with no background knowledge, goal or idea of what it is for. “Instead of collaborators, the author and the user are often two total strangers, two aliens which do not share a common communication code.” (Manovich, 2004, 3) It is instead a group of strangers coming together with the common interest of online interactive art, expanding social networks and forming social cultures. It is through the continual feedback and interactivity of the piece that the modes of communication are established between each user. Online collaborated art is an example of collaborative construct.

Interactive art is “the dialogue between the piece and the participant; specifically, the participant has "agency" (the ability to act upon) the piece and is furthermore invited to do so in the context of the piece, i.e. the piece has "affordance" or "affords" the interaction.” (Art history, 2005, 1)

The art is intended/ relies on the users participation/interaction to continually evolve. In contemporary new media art there is a distinction between the term participation and interaction. Participation refers to the relationship between a spectator and an existing open-ended art work on both the contemplative and the behavioural level. (Robson, 2005, 3 in (Popper, 1999, p.8)) The term 'interaction' however, “is a more comprehensive involvement, where there is a two-way interplay between an individual and an artificial intelligence system” (Robson, 2005, 3 cited in Popper, 1999, p.8)

In summary, online interactive art is a flow of interactivity instead of an finished object from the author to the user. The user becomes the participant with the ability to act upon the piece and is furthermore invited to do so in the context of the piece.
It is subject to and depends on the continual interaction and communication between the users and the piece.

There are many ongoing interactive online projects. Below I have included some collaborated art works which I found most engaging and entertaining. I encourage you to continue the flow of produsage art by contributing your part. Have fun and good luck!

SITO-Collection of collaborative art projects
-Gridcosm Since 1997. The most popular project nowadays, this one nests 3x3 grids inside 3x3 grids inside 3x3 grids ad-aesthetium.
here is a video animation of gridcosm- I apologies for the music.

Pixelfest

As an extension to this blog I have also included below a video analysis by rolf. He discusses how collaborated online artworks persuade people to contribute using the example of drawball.com and swarmsketch.com.

Reference

Art History Club (2005) Interactive Art, retrieved October 25, 2005 from http://www.arthistoryclub.com/art_history/Interactive_art (accessed 09.05.08)

Manovich, L. (2004) Who is the Author?: Sampling / Remixing / Open Source, September 1, 2005, from http://www.manovich.net/DOCS/models_of_authorship.doc (accessed 09.05.08)

Rincón, (1998) Artistic Interaction and Computer Interactivity: Cooperative art on the Internet, Cornell University, Arts and Sciences,
http://www.saddlesores.org/Coopart/history.html (accessed 09.05.08)

Snow M., Robinson, A. & Herrling H., (2005) Introduction to new Media Art
http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/New_Media_Art (accessed 09.05.08)

Snurd, (2007) Produsage: A Working Definition,

http://produsage.org/produsage (accessed 09.05.08)

Wikipedia (2005) Internet Art,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_art (accessed 09.05.08)

open source Second Life

I have always been interested in Second Life due to the hype surrounding it. Before attending this weeks lecture and tutorial I had a fairly limited knowledge of what Second Life comprised of and why it was receiving so much attention. In this blog I will be discussing second life in relation to it being an open source software and how this has contributed to it being successful.

Second life is successful because of its ability to create, modified and share content by users and businesses.

Second life is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) set in a 3d virtual world in which ‘residents’ can create an identity, meet people, buy land and build their own environment or purchase an existing one. (Definition of second life, 2008, ¶1) Created by Linden Research inc.(aka Linder Labs), San Francisco, CA, Second Life gained international attention due to media coverage late 2006 to early 2007.

Second life is an example of produsage as it is a platform where the user and 3^rd parties can create content.

Second life is available as open source, enabling users and developers to download SL end user software with the ability to modify or make additions to the source code.

Open source is referred to as “software that is distributed with its source code so that end user organisations and vendors can modify it for their own purposes” (Definition of open source, 2008, ¶1) Originally called ‘free software’ open source software began back in the early 80s when a programmer named Richard Stallman wrote software with clear instructions to “share this code with your fellow users. Learn from it. Improve upon it. And when you're done, please give something back to the community.” (Kidd, 2000, ¶1) In 1984 frustrated with the restriction set on him in sharing codes, instead of finding illegal techniques to share like Napster, he created the GNU manifesto .

Key points of the manifesto include:

-everyone has the right to modify and redistribute GNU. However no distributor can restrict its further redistribution. In other words no proprietary modifications are permitted.

-GNU is supported organisation by computer programmers who are frustrated with the commercialisation of system software

-developers using GNU must obey the law and be hospital to everyone unlike propriety programs

-encourage to contribute either by donations of machines, time, content or money (see manifesto for task list and for more ways to contribute)

-every computer user will benefit with the availability of good free software

-rebutted objections to the GNU’s goals

(Stallman, 2007, 1)

It is these guidelines that Second Life has followed which have contributed to it being successful. With the advert of web 2.0 and the increase of web-enabled communications, it has facilitated user generated content, giving rise to social networks. Second Life is the next logical step as it “… allows socialisation and collaboration to take place in an online spatial world, with users co-located on the screen, seeing the same thing.” (Salomon, 2007, 6) In other words, Second Life has brought content creativity and social networking to real time.

It is interesting that SL have kept to the open source standards when they could of easily and very profitably been an online proprietary software. However SL offer businesses ‘The Second Life Grid™’ which is a platform the “…enables your organization to create a public or private space using the leading 3D online virtual world technology behind Second Life™” Business now have the opportunity to aim towards their market by creating an atmosphere, event or environment to attract customers rather then rely on advertising. For example for residents visiting Adidas could try on real world models of their shoes. The ‘Microride’ model offered “bounce and flexibility with minimum weight” and found themselves pogo’ing whenever they took a step. (Solomon, 2007, 11)

Second Life will continue to be successful due to its user generated ability as open source software. By being an open source software businesses are also able to profit with the ability to attract customers through real world stimulations of events, environments and atmosphere associated with their products.

Although I do not have an account with SL, I am considering, because of the desire to see other user generated content and how business are trying to attract and advertise to customers.

Reference

PC mag. 2008, Encyclopaedia definitions: second life & open source,

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=Second+Life&i=56985,00.asp (accessed 30.04.08)

PC mag. 2008, Encyclopaedia definitions:open source,

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0%2C2542%2Ct%3Dopen+source&i%3D48471%2C00.asp (accessed 30.04.08)

Wikipedia, 2008, Second Life,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life (accessed 30.04.08)

Stallman R., 2007, GNU manifesto

http://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.html (accessed 30.04.08)

Salomon M., 2007, Business in Second Life,

www.smartinternet.com.au/ArticleDocuments/121/Business-in-Second-Life-May-2007.pdf.aspx (accessed 30.04.08)

Kidd E., 2000, History of “Open Source”

http://static.userland.com/userLandDiscussArchive/msg019844.html (accessed 30.04.08)

web 2.0 and convergence

The term web 2.0 is currently being used in reference to the recent rise of web 2.0 related developments in technologies, online content and software sharing.

As defined by wikipedia "Web 2.0 is a trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to facilitate creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. " (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0, accessed 20/04/08)

I used the definition from wikipedia, as it is an example of web2.0 is. Everyone i know has used wikipedia at some stage in their life. From my short survey it is evident the extend wikipedia has impacted on society and online users. From the rise of web 2.0 in its popularity and development has also seen the increase in attention from other media' fields. For example Yahoo convergence with channel 7.

In Matthew Allen 2008 “Web 2.0 argument against convergence” (http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2139/1946, accessed 20/04/08)journal is a detail analysis of web 2.0 in its development in becoming a medium that defies all boundaries and needs for other media communications. Throughout the article Allen clearly articulates that web 2.0 is a complex interchangeable form that is content driven domain with no direct ownership or authority. It is this ideal model of producing one’s own content that web 2.0 has become a medium where it is no longer about reaching target audiences but communicating more effectively to them. Allen begins his argument by using the example of the company Yahoo Australia and its unsuccessful attempt to become a visual media resource through converging with channel 7. Through discussing in detail what web 2.0 is and its relationship to media communication, Allen clearly identifies that the web 2.0 alone will continue be successful due to networking capabilities and its increasing level of democratisation. He uses Yahoo attempts to converge with channel 7 as an example of the current trends of online companies expanding from the internet into other media fields. Web 2.0 is no longer a singular media in itself but the convergence of all media's and thus has no need to converge with one particular media.

The article is a detail, in depth insight into web2.0 in relation to the argument against web 2.0 convergence. The article is comprised of discussing web 2.0 in terms of history, developments, techonology, networking, content and political capabilities. The article demonstrates the need and understanding of web 2.0 throughout all media communications to fully utilise it capabilities in aiding other mediums rather then becoming part of them.

Personally i think the term is used very widely with no real understanding of what it means in relation to users, technologies and content creations and sharing. The term web 2.0 itself demonstrates this as the term web 1.0 wasn't even used. An attempt to look up the definition of web 1.0 was unsuccessful evident of the age of web 2.0. When referring to web 2.0, it is referencing web 1.0 in in reference to the 'old' internet in relation to design, interface, technology's, content creation and development.

Lastly, I want would like to know what web 2.0 means to you and your understanding of the term.

Terry Flew -New media-Cultural technologies-Chapter 2

How do technologies become cultural technologies?

Technology not only refers to the physical object, but rather to its software and its context of use. According to Terry Flew, "Technologies as hardware has no social use or value, unless accompanied by software and acted upon in a cultural dimension."

Technoculture occurs when technologies add value and meaning to our lives, particularly within a social context. One of the primary ways it achieves this is by creating and facilitating new forms of communication and information networking, in a global environment. As Langdon stated, "Technology becomes cultural technology when it is used as a powerful force, acting to reshape human activity and its meaning." (Langdon, 1986)