It’s important to understand the evolution of digital media; the movement from analogue to digital language through convergence has seen a significant change around our use of interactive technology. Convergence is re-constructing the digital media sector. Initially the effects of convergence mainly affected our traditional media platforms, such as television, radio and film. In particular, convergence had a massive effect on The Internet as a platform.
Convergence is the transformation of the formats of different platforms into a single common language; this is ‘binary code’. Essentially 'binary code' is unifying the language of our current media platforms, enabling them to communicate with each other at a greater speed and compatibility. It allows peer-to-peer access between two users, allowing the transfer and communication of material between two or more formats.
For example, a user is now able to easily interface and change text, graphics, moving image and sound, within a structured digital computerised environment, much easier now that it is in the binary electronic format, rather than the traditional analogue language. Therefore, this speed and ease of use allows people to interact with data much easier and quicker, meaning web content becomes much more diverse than it has been previously.
Commercially this single format language ‘binary’ is welcomed as it allows platforms (phones) to become multi platform’s (video phones) essentially becoming a more attractive product to the consumer.(1)
Case Study 1.John Talbot, Universal/Ireland records
National Account manager.
“Universal records released mainstream artist Keane on traditional formats, but in addition, also released the single on a USB drive for £3.99”
For this the purchaser was able to access an mp3 of the song, the music video, a biography and a link to an external website, with constantly updating information on the band."(2)
“…Interactive media is now giving us the opportunity to deliver new experiences to our customer, as well as continuing to generate revenue…It’s about how the broadcasters/production/art houses / react to convergence and how the future workforce and creative’s adapt to that…”
If art is defined as an experience that equals outcome, Can we accurately say that new media is an art platform, or is it simply a commercial vehicle or tool? How does current ‘new media art’ answer this question?
Case study 2 - The Blast Theory
“Blast Theory is renowned internationally as one of the most adventurous artists' groups using interactive media…The group's work explores interactivity and the relationship between real and virtual space with a particular focus on the social and political aspects of technology. It confronts a media saturated world in which popular culture rules, using video, computers, performance, installation, mobile and online technologies to ask questions about the ideologies present in the information that envelops us.”
This group appears to have situated itself within a platform of experimentation that can generate and collect a useful amount of data on the audience’s desire for interaction within art. This then enables the group to plot a direction in the progression of future interactive art and media platforms.(3)
In 1998 ‘Blast Theory’ began one particular instillation called ‘Kidnap’. Appropriately named, ‘Kidnap’ was an experimental piece whereby small commercials explaining that the audience could be put under surveillance and be kidnapped for 48 hours. All they had to do was send their details to the mobile phone number on the advert.
This instillation was advertised at cinemas in England and Wales. Playing for only 45 seconds, the ad cleverly pressed a lot of unconscious triggers that highlighted the need for stress release and the ability to relinquish the everyday responsibilities of daily life, for a seemingly dangerous but fantastic adventure. (4)
It uses new media technology to reach its audience, collate data and proceed with the installation itself. So with the use of new media the audience is providing valuable data in response to the project. However it opens debate as to the type of audience ‘The Blast Theory’ is reaching or accommodating by using new media for an actual physical art intervention. It moves away from offering a marketable substance to the audience and moves towards the offer of experience and actual physical gain.
By experiencing new media does it make it worthy as a piece of art? How do you judge whether something is ‘worthy’ of being classified as a piece of art? Is the experience or intervention of the user within the new media piece, a measure in which we can judge its worth within art?
Does this make it an art piece? Or is it simply just an ‘experience'? Or is it in fact a reflection on the evolution of our audience? With the apparent evolution of technology, it could be said that we have created an audience that is more interested in being an activist, more interested in accessing and interacting with the project, rather than analysing and theorising without any interaction, perhaps the modern audience is captured within the interests of physical practicality rather than theory or symbolism of art. The audience wants to find the art, make the art and become the artist. With the advent of convergence and the ease of format manipulation, it is much easier for them to do this. The audience want to gain something from this modern art, almost to ‘consume’ it, and certainly to manipulate it in some way. There is perhaps, no longer a great aura surrounding art, it is no longer something special, maybe due to the easier accessibility of the medium, perhaps that’s why we question whether new media is an art form, as there are no longer the same trials and specific skills needed to create it?
It could be perceived that new media is simply another language that artists play with as a medium. The new media artist has moved from paintbrush to computer coding however commercial practices also use the same formats as new media art, and perhaps hinder the worth of new media as an art platform. They package products together with the use of multimedia, then utilise it for revenue under the disguise of offering more experience i.e. Universal music. It is becoming increasingly difficult to discern between what is new media art and what is a clever marketing ploy.
In order for me to understand the worth of new media platform more thoroughly I have cultivated two examples of new media practice. Firstly 'Art the Experiment' is a design session I am teaching on a six-week timetable. Within those six weeks I plan to discuss and review 'new media' artist. The students in turn will create a blog whereby they can comment on their understanding and feelings of the works. I will monitor response and actions the students take on their blog and also how this may affect any of their research and styles within the other core subjects of design I teach within the current year.(5)
The next example of new media practice will be my curatorial practice group 'The Keepers'. We are planning a live project that will use new media practice for the event. This example will highlight the whole process of a new media projecfrom initial ideas and planning to the final project going live.(6)http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Links are provided as references.
Footnotes:
1 Page 29 of 75 pages. Chapter: 3: Module 2: Global Trends in ICT/Telecoms Sector
2 Times Online - Keane USB release
3 Blast Theory - About Blast Theory
4 Blast Theory - Kidnap
5 Art the Experiment - Blog
6 The Keepers - Blog
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