just back from a short Suisse trip, I want to add some short notes about my
experience of handling "new media" by the public.
Visiting the Suisse Expo 02 was a nice experience, not only for myself in
looking at many really fine pieces, but also under the aspect to see how
smooth the handling by the public is/was.
While the expo is primarily an art event (the name for the different spaces
is arteplages), it is not recognized at first by all visitors. [some men
talking one to each other standing behind me in a row: (astonished)"the last
work was very artistic." (a bit ambivalent) "It is all artistic, or not?"]
The people (children to grandparents) had no problem in handling the pieces,
with or without interactivity [computer unexperienced "older" people looking
with interest at how other "younger", handling the interface, typing in
textes .. and followed afterwards. --- nice to see the grandma learning from
the child - people learning from each other --- else there were enough
people around, who could be asked].You had to wait long to enter an installation (up to 60 minutes), especially
where only a limited group can be inside at once, but the atmosphere was
very relaxed. At the beginning of the row you got a folder/paper with
instructions to read while waiting.Overall a sweet experience - no trouble with new media - "no computer / no
art" public impressed by new media art.best
Thanks for sharing this.
The exhibition seems very successful and it?s great to hear about positive experiences.
I look forward to seeing more exhibitions showing new media art and visual arts projects together. Most of the time the new media works are shown in one area (and not always very well displayed or documented?) and the visual arts in another (and are often well displayed and documented?).
Sylvie