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Ars Electronica Exhibits Digital Art & Technology
Singapore Science Center, November 9, 2007 to January 1, 2008
Ars Electronica’s “Digital Art & Technology” exhibition is running until January 1, 2008 at the Singapore Science Center. The facility is making available 3,000 m2 of exhibit space to showcase 25 projects by artists from around the world—including Linz’s own Ars Electronica Futurelab. The focus is on man-machine interaction.
Digital Art & Technology
“Digital Art & Technology” takes a classic Ars Electronica approach to new forms of interplay among human beings and machines. Beyond purely technical and industrial considerations, the highly diverse projects featured in this exhibition have one thing in common: striving to achieve man-machine interaction that encompasses our physical bodies and our senses. These artworks are based on active, hands-on user involvement. Artists from all over the world have developed prototypes that foster the emancipation of the person partaking of them—the observer becomes the creator engaging in a direct encounter with new technologies and virtual spaces.
Librovision by Ars Electronica Futurelab
One of the Ars Electronica Futurelab’s contributions is Librovision, an innovative new approach to man-machine interaction as well as the way we deal with digital information. Without touching the monitor screen, the installation visitor uses hand motions to browse through a virtual book. A certain gesture enlarges details; another launches hyperlinks. A video camera mounted directly above the virtual reference work captures and interprets the reader’s movements and sends this information to the control system. Librovision is a prototype project that implements an invisible human-computer interface and enables an intuitive exchange of information.
Intuitive Interfaces and Enhanced Media Competence
Ever since becoming synonymous with social progress, new technologies have been promising to help us achieve our objectives more efficiently and in less time. Remaining on the leading edge now means keeping up with the very rapid pace of technological development, a race that isn’t all that conducive to pausing for a profound consideration of the true potential of high tech’s promises of salvation. Quite the contrary, in fact: the whole undertaking quickly becomes too much for most people, since only a small minority is able to stay abreast of the ongoing innovations and manage the increasing technical complexity. It’s no surprise, then, that calls for simplicity are getting louder and being heard more frequently. And this is precisely the point of departure of the media artists whose work is being shown here: new, intuitive interfaces are designed to facilitate considerably more user-friendly interaction with new technologies. At the same time, this cultural encounter fosters the acquisition of advanced media skills, a prerequisite for being able to make the liberating transition from passively consuming to having active input into what’s happening. Interfaces oriented on our real-life needs and a higher level of media competence are meant to enable us to really benefit from all the promises that new technologies have been making.
Additional info about Ars Electronica – Digital Art & Technology is available online at http://www.aec.at/singapore_dat07/de
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