My definition of interaction:
Interaction is a conversation between the users and the works made by the author. It’s the consistent juxtaposition of the performance and the reaction from the users that generates the complete works. During the performance, the users can interact with artworks without guidance from the author.
Two Interactive art projects:
1. Phonon: (manamana.net)
Phonon is a project that provides people with a short period to escape from the hustle and bustle of their routine life.
This project aligns with my definition of interaction because its silent and slow audiovisual performance totally depends on the position of the user. And the communication between the user and the whole context is really strong.
By using digital sensors and software, the user’s movement and stillness are recorded. Once he sits on the pillow, the construction of the scene starts according to the memory of his position and soft sound begins to play. The whole project creates both visual and auditory experiences for users and enables them to utilize their personal methods to experience the environment.
In this project, the interaction happens not only between the users and the artworks, but also between the former and the later users as the later one can inherit the ‘memory’ inside and keep building it. This triggers my understanding of interaction and makes me realize that the communication action between users is also considered as interaction.
https://www.manamana.net/video/detail?id=99654#!en
2. Insideout: (manamana.net)
Insidious is a 360 ° immersive artworks that shows the visitors a thunderstorm with an acoustic and optical device. It bases on the experience in the author’s childhood and vividly displays the shelter people possess.
This project doesn’t align with my definition of interaction because the visitors only need to turn off the light and watch the intriguing performance without interacting with it consistently. In other words, the project is more like an immersive movie that stimulates the senses of the visitors and mobilizes their emotions as well.
In this project, physical interaction between users and works seems to be weakened. Instead, the author manages to utilize an extremely impressive digital method to exaggerate the experience and the feelings of visitors. Simply put, the project creates an instant audiovisual experience for its visitor. This also triggers my understanding of interaction and let me begin to think about the invisible internal conversation between the interactive art project and the users.