Final presentation: Ken Goldberg's The TeleGarden

Ken Goldberg, The TeleGarden, 1995

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Background:

•      The TeleGarden went online in June 1995 until August 2004.

•      In its first year, over 10000 members helped cultivate.

•      Anyone can view the garden as a guest.

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Description:

•      Telepresence installation art

•      Web users are allowed to view, interact with a remote garden filled with living plants. It has a live camera on it.

•      Members can plant, water, and monitor the progress of seedlings through the tender movements of an industrial robot arm.

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Interface of TeleGarden:

•      Users are prepared to wait, it takes awhile to plant a seed or water a flower. And it will certainly take time for the plant to grow.

•      Ken Goldberg: "You plant a seed and nothing happens. You have to come back, and over a period of weeks you get the reward of that activity.”

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The category of TeleGarden: Telepresence

•      Unique form of human-computer interaction

•      Allows the remote user to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present other than their true location.

•      eg. Videoconferencing, The TeleGarden

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Quotes:

•      "Virtual Community in a Telepresence Environment,"

--Margaret L. McLaughlin, Kerry K. Osborne, and Nicole B. Ellison, in S. Jones (Ed.), Virtual Culture (pp. 146-168). London: Sage Publication, Inc. 1997.

 

•      ``For its engaging use of the Web, bringing together an international group of strangers to explore and nourish nature in sharing a common garden, the First Prize goes to the Telegarden as a powerful metaphor for virtual communities.''

-- Jury, Festival of Independent Visual Arts (FIVA), 1995.

 

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Own opinion:

•      TeleGarden hooked up with the Internet and individual.
-> Made impossible to possible. Users just simply click the buttons on Internet, then they grow a real plant in California.

•      The Telegarden was a fusion between old technology (agriculture) and new technology (the Internet).
-> An interaction between art, nature and technology .
Use technology to contribute in nature.

•      Chat room can gather thousands of users from all over the world.
-> Form online community, shorten the distance between users.

 

'Inter-Discommunication Machine' by Kazuhiko Hachiya

Youtube video: 下巴仔 (Chin JJ)

1. How many viewers are estimated to have watched the youtube video?
152,965 (counted on 30Nov2013)

2. How would you rate the video? 

This video is not very high quality in technical terms but it has lots of interesting elements in it, like the creativity of the uploader. He sticked two eyes on chin and formed another funny face, called Chin JJ. 

In the video, the girl asks Chin JJ about some situation questions for example how would Chin JJ respond the reasons of his late. Then Chin JJ responses he met a beggar and tittered continuity. Also, Chin JJ tried to make some funny face(start from 2:30sec) too! HAHAHA... What a funny Youtube video!

Although there are fixed camera angle for this video, I think it is a good decision because it can lead audience to focus on the acts of Chin JJ. For the linkage of socio-cultural issues, I think this funny video somehow aims to reduce audience's stress and provide positive energy for us, it also reflects the creativity of Hong Kong people :D

3.   Do you think it deserved the attention that it received from the internet community?  

I think this video is simply entertaining the audience and the uploader just want to show this funny events to viewers via youtube platform. However, this video was aroused many topics in Hong Kong at that time and inspired many related creations on the Internet communities.

New Media Art

Dada + New Media Art both described 'reactions'. What did they 'react' to?

Dada was in reaction to the industrialization of warfare and the mechanical reproduction of texts and images while New Media art is the reaction to the information technology revolution and the digitization of cultural forms.

What are some similarities of new media art to Dada, Pop, Video art?

Basically, new media art is evaluated from Dada. Dada aims to challenge the traditional art judgement and jar the complacent audience by making fun of the artwork. The techniques and subjects that Dadaists used such as collage, the readymade, political action, and performance can also be found in new media art. Electronic Disturbance Theater's FloodNet and Fran Illich's Borderhack are the example of new media art which blurred the boundaries between art and political action.

Also, the development of new media art also linked with Pop Art tightly, they are also engaged with commercial culture. However, Pop art combines the magazine images and popular icons of the culture into an artwork while new media artists utilize the world's current technology to create artworks.

Video art shares many similarities with new media art too. New Media artists treat Internet is a portable video camera that can be an accessible artistic tool that allows new media artists to explore the changing relationship between technology and culture.

When was Net Art first included in a major exhibition: Documenta X (Kassel Germany)

In 1997, the first Net Art exhibition called Documenta X exhibited in Kassel, Germany. By using email and other websites promotion on Internet, it provides a platform for more people to discuss and know about Net Art artists and their artworks.

(http://www.documenta12.de/archiv/dx/english/frm_home.htm)

Is New Media Art focused in one country. Why or Why not?

Sure not. As the Internet break the geographical boundary between different places, no matter where you are and what time is it, users from different countries can also access on Internet at the same time to view the artworks. 


Why were many artists drawn to new media art from others?

Responding to the concept of globalization, as the increasing demand of technology, globalization was both a cause and an effect of the widespread use of the Internet, wireless telephones, and other  information and communication  technologies. New media artists can earn their living by selling their work of art and spread multinational partnerships into worldwide. Also, they can enjoy a free discussion in ideas with other artists among the world.  

Networked Art: Mark Napier's 'Shredder'

Mark Napier's 'Shredder'

http://www.potatoland.org/shredder/

 

This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on several features. First is formal instructions, 'Shredder' actually have a standard instruction or program in creating the above layout. 'Shredder' generates the new images and input the website links into the background in order to create a messy but standard structure of webpage. Second is the feature of 'the concept rather than the art object', the concept of 'Shredder' is changing the appearance of the original website, it totally destroyed the normal view and objects in the website and form another layout, audience cant recognize original pages. The third feature is the event and audience participation. When Mark Napier was creating 'Shredder', he set up a small event of 'Shredder' which is leading the audience to type in the web address and click 'ENTER' to view the modified webpages. Lastly, it comes to the feature of 'borrowing and appropriation', 'Shredder' is the work of borrowing other existing website as the base of his production, 'Shredder' takes the interface and images from the original website to generate its own messy 'Shredder-webpage', but not create all the program and layout from zero.

Why Mark Napier's 'Shredder' is a NET.ART but not digital art?

Digital art is the work that made by the digital technique such as computer softwares. The digital art can be printed out and put in the gallery for exhibition. However, for NET.ART, the work can only operate on Internet. Users need to access Internet to view the work of NET.ART. Mark Napier's 'Shredder' is a NET.ART because it requires audience to operate on Internet. It is a kind of conventor that convent the organial webpage into a messy appreance and form a new artpiece. As 'Shredder' can only be operated with Internet, so it is NET.ART but not digital art.

The Ethics of Digital Games (2nd Edition)

According to the film ‘Game Revolution’, it analyzed the development of game industry in a very comprehensive way.

First, there are some advantages of playing videogames for individuals. Based on the video, it points out that videogames are the new language for teenagers nowadays. They can learn the complex things from playing videogames. Also, some videogames have educational aspects which teaching players to engage meaningful activities. Players can learn a new kind of understanding without stress, they play in a relax condition and they learnt easily. However, there are some disadvantages too. The video mentioned that some games which containing negative competition mode would encourage the players under 18 become more aggressive.

Second, for societies, ‘Game Revolution’ introduced many ‘professional players’ cases in the videogames industry. The video provides many statistics to prove videogames industry earn billions income each year, it shows that players can really earn money from playing videogames or even seek playing videogames as a job. However, the video also talks about the launch of the violence videogames would be harmful to the values of teenager because they may apply such negative mindsets to reality.

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Example: The Sims (2000)

"What you do outside your home now matters as much as what you do within."

The Sims is the good example to illustrate this topic. The Sims is a strategic life simulation video game series. The player creates virtual people called "Sims" and places them in houses and helps direct their moods and satisfy their desires. 

Playing The Sims allows users to have decision-making in a virtual communities in order to achieve their goals, therefore, The Sims is somehow provide a platform for players to learn the problem-sloving skills. Also, players can access in a new life and role to experience others' fate. Under the control of the players, the character have to work in different places in order to gain money for buying house and organize a family, thus its a very real-like video game that gather many topics on Internet throughout the years. 

However, as virtual communities in The Sims is very alike to reality, some of the players, especially for those under 18 who have weak time management, they will keep playing The Sims, living under the virtual communities. Some players said that its better to live in Sims city because you can actually control your fate but the reality cant. Another disadvantage of The Sims is the sexual elements in the game, it is also harmful for the teens who aged below 18. 

Group discussion of Adam's Will computer games ever be a legitimate art form?

 



Are videogames art or not:

Agree:

• Videogames must challenge the viewer to learn a new kind of understanding.
• Aestethics: Everything in the game has to work together in harmony, image has to be pleasing, 
• Videogame artists must experiement and take new chances.

 

Disagree:

• Some of us doesent think that videogames has to have content, like a storyline, in order to be considered art, because patterns, design and functions canalso stimulate the viewer, and leave him or her in some kind of emotional state. 
• Some of us disagree that videgames has to be criticized by critics, rather than being reviewed, because it can lead to lower sales of the game, because fewer people will play the game.

Additional points:

• If computer games are to be considered an art form, it shouldn’t contain bad messages such as violence – it should bring a positive message to the player in order to be art, according to some of us. 
• Some of us think that videogames that question human beliefs, such as the players morality, can be considered art, because allowing the viewer to make different choices (good/bad) also forces the player to think and feel while playing.

Rice comments on Cory Arcangel: Super-Mario Clouds

27 Sep 2013: Will Computer Games Ever Be A Legitimate Art Form?

Is Super-Mario Clouds considered as a work of Art?

The Super-Mario Clouds by Cory Arcangel is a ‘hacked’ or modification of a famous worldwide game Super-Mario. Super-Mario is the game that the main character Mario who trying to survive in the danger environment. All the objects included in Super-Mario are in pixel-based, even the trees, mountains and clouds. Cory Arcangel modified the game and cut out all the game rules, main character and scenery except the blue-sky and clouds. in the foreground  In Super-Mario Clouds, the clouds from the game Super-Mario keep moving from right to left slowly.

For the work of Super-Mario Clouds, although the viewers can be easily recogised that is the clouds from Super-Mario, it can not considered as a work of art. There are several reasons to explain why Cory Arcangel's Super-Mario Clouds is not an artwork.

First, Super-Mario Clouds have no narrative elements. According to Adam's reading, artwork should contain narrative elements and video-games require too. The art of video-game should allow players to experience under the particular situation and meet the target or goal. With the narrative elements, ideas or messages from the artists could be easily conveyed. However, there are no any narrative elements in Super-Mario Clouds, it tells nothing in the 'game' but just showing the clouds' movement.

Second, a work of art should try to break the new ground. An artwork should not simply created for no purpose, but should try to create something new and not to be formulaic. I think that the presenting idea in Super-Mario Clouds cant bring the viewers to explore a new kind of understanding. It is not necessary for an artwork to achieve something but to obtain a brand new perspective to the players.

Third, the work of Super-Mario Clouds cannot represent the popular culture. Although the game of Super-Mario is the classic and world-known video-games, once the game cut off the scene, characters and other game structures, its no longer to be classified as the classic Super-Mario game anymore, people would not link up Super-Mario Clouds with Super-Mario game unless the title of the work is called 'Super-Mario Clouds'. Thus, Super-Mario Clouds cannot identify as art because it is unable to show the features of popular culture art.

Lastly, artwork should be able to communicate or interact with the audience, but Super-Mario Clouds cannot. There is no interaction with the viewers when watching Super-Mario Clouds and no messages can be received from it.

Rice talks about Eric Siu's Touchy .