Reading Response: New Media Art

The author’s definition of New Media Art is probably, “…projects that make use of emerging media technologies and are concerned with the cultural, political, and aesthetic possibilities of these tools. (1)” This is probably in line with what I know about New Media Art now, and what could be updated is the expansion of categories of media technologies and the meanings of works. After searching online, my new definition of New Media Art is “all forms of art made, altered, or transmitted using media technology.” There is a possible recognition of the role of media technology in the process of not only complete creation but also the process of changing and transmission.

The conception of New Media Art may be broader as media technology develops. For instance, Natalie Bookchin’s The Intruder is a 1999 interactive game in which players play to read a story by Jorge Luis Borges. Natalie Bookchin is “an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of moving image, sound, and media archives”. In The Intruder, she combines the form of the game with literature, as players are rewarded by audio or text of the story after simple actions such as clicking the mouse to complete the game. And the game is metaphorically linked to the story in some way.

There are still many games that can be classified as New Media Art and tell a story through the process of playing the game. Most of these stories are now presented entirely in game form, with words and language becoming part of the game and providing an immersive experience for the viewer. What Remains of Edith Finch, for example, when revealing the past of different characters, the game sets up the story through different game genres.

Not only that, but New Media Art’s distribution platform has also changed. In the past, the dominant platforms were websites and museums. For example, Every Shot, Every Episode is a 2002 work, which is an installation art that breaks down the shots and sequences of cop show Starsky and Hutch with no start and end, by Jennifer and Kevin McCoy who love to “re-examine classic genres and works of cinema, science fiction or television narrative”. This work was on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. While museums and websites are still prevalent, social media, such as Instagrams, has become a more mainstream and integrated platform, since it better transcends place, time, and is sufficiently widespread and inclusive. Social media may not be the ultimate New Media Art showcase, but it has certainly become the most popular way to promote and collect New Media Art. This may also change the concept of New Media Art, making it more electronic than physical, more individual than collective.

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