The Unifying Aspects of Cultures

SECTION:

Art and New Media

Nat Muller (Rotterdam, NL)
The Revenge of the Senses: Or How to Have Your Electronic Cake and Eat it

After spending years in front of our screens and getting excited about the reactivity of the mouse click, we come to have realised that our bodies extend beyond our fingertips, and our senses are not only limited to sound and visuals, but also include touch, smell and taste. A current trend in new media art seems to comprise a return to tactility. Interactive installations and responsive environments reflect a more holistic approach to what immersion might mean: the user/player engages in a synaesthetic experience where discovery, playfulness and creativity play an important role.

Drawing from concrete examples of the art and technology collective FoAM, such as the responsive environment txOom and the f0amfood series, I would like to plea for the creation of new artistic contexts, where the (sensual) participation and perception of the audience is key.

http://f0.am/txoom

http://f0.am/f0od/

THE UNIFYING ASPECTS OF CULTURES