Ars Electronica 2009
It is fascinating to me that, in our digitized western world, when someone dies their social networking site becomes a memorial for their friends, family and acquaintances. Facebook profiles, difficult to remove after a person has died, archives their online identity up to their last status update, last comment or last photograph. Our digital footprints allow us to become immortal, as a digital version of our existence survives beyond our living body. I imagine that it was the same kind of amazement our ancestors felt when photography was invented, as they were suddenly able to see their loved ones image long after they had died. Is this why the two technologies have been so successful, and why most of us today are at all times armed with camera and laptop? Is technology the modern day coping mechanism for the inevitable?
As I encountered the many intriguing projects and artworks at the Ars Electronica Festival, it became apparent at just how human we have made technology. There I was, stood taking a picture of Mertz, the face robot, when all of a sudden it frowned. For a spilt second I assumed he did not like his photo taking, and then, realising that it had no human emotion at all, laughed at how ridiculous my thought was. We have created technology in order to understand and develop human nature, which has already had a huge impact on society; uncovering positive and negative elements surrounding the subject. The Ars Electronica Festival 2009 primarily explored the positive relationships we have with technology and each other, highlighting future possibilities and aims that are not far from being realised. Many works explored aspects of communication, which technology has enabled us to do on a global scale at the touch of a button for the past 20 years.
Skype is a mind-blowing piece of technology, and many of these works played with similar, long distance visual interactions in a number of novel ways. Works that really fascinated me were ones that allowed you to interact with an anonymous person situated in another city or country. Digitie for example, is a real-time communication channel between Linz and Istanbul. A screen is situated next to a hollow devise, which participants are able to put their hand inside. As your hand enters the box, the real time image appears on the screen. Whilst exploring the movement of your digitized hand on screen, another participant’s hand appears. This unknown participant, situated in Istanbul, appears to occupy the same space, and as you begin to interact, shaking hands, giving thumbs up, or offering a high five, it almost feels as though you are physically touching.
The discovery of the moving image has allowed us to archive and re-present a past moment frame by frame, to audiences all over the world. The development of real-time footage has given us the power to monitor entire cities, and to connect to live cameras globally via the Internet. Many of the works at Ars Electronica utilized this technology, creating works that allow us to learn about the world in which we live, as well as the impact human nature has upon Planet Earth. For example, Movement and Impact by Sabine Haerri and Yvonne Weber depicts a series of moments occurring in real-time, creating a physical experience for the participant using the vibrations created by traffic travelling through the very busy Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. The installation is designed to increase awareness of the impact of increasing mobility, and the damaging effects it has on the environment. These interactive works act as portals to other places and moments, allowing us to engage with other communities, cultures, and global issues.
My interest in digital time-based technology has for the past four years formed an important part of the artwork, research, and exhibitions I create, and Ars Electronica has significantly developed my understanding of New Media art. My artwork explores the interrelationships between both still and moving imagery, and how these technologies significantly conveys the temporal aspects of actuality; in relation to its existence as a subject affected and controlled by the forces of time. The art that I experienced in the Bruckner Haus, Lentos Museum, the Ars Electronica Centre, and the OK Centre have all contributed to my professional development as both an artist and curator.
