Saturday, July 18, 2009
A lecture by Craig Smith at the 2009 Film-Philosophy Conference on the theoretical and technological construct of 'interface.'
This presentation is hosted by the University of Dundee and the journal Film-Philosophy. The conference keynote speaker will be: Alain Badiou.
A lecture by Craig Smith at the 2009 Film-Philosophy Conference on the theoretical and technological construct of 'interface.'
This presentation is hosted by the University of Dundee and the journal Film-Philosophy. The conference keynote speaker will be: Alain Badiou.
TOP: Craig Smith riding Matthew Bakkom's Cinevator. (Photography by Matthew Bakkom)
BOTTOM: George Romero's Night of the Living Dead.
BOTTOM: George Romero's Night of the Living Dead.
Abstract:
This paper uses examples from the work of American artist Matthew Bakkom (Born 1968) and of Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (Born 1967) to demonstrate significant differences between models of ‘interface’ and those of ‘interactivity’ in contemporary installations of projected film, video and photographic media. This media includes both traditional forms of projected celluloid film (Bakkom) as well as midi-synthesized and responsive forms of electronic and digital media including, but not limited to, video (Lozano-Hemmer).
The paper will seek to define and demonstrate ‘interface’ as a specific construct that has perpetuated the evolution of cinematic events into relational forms conducted through theories and practices of audience participation (Kaprow, Agamben), duration (Viola, Bergson) and site-specificity (Kwon, Deleuze). The paper will emphasize that the interface of relational forms designates a significant conceptual shift from user-to-technology (interactive) engagements to the instrumentalisation of a globally distributed "participant team." This "team" is simultaneously engaged with the event of time-based media across multiple locations in successive or simultaneous arrangements. The paper considers these works as those which take a relational approach, following the 21st Century, multi-national curating of Nicolas Bourriaud who applies David Harvey’s concepts of the dynamics of human value to the contradictions inherent in the relations of capital.
The paper will use visual illustrations and diagrams of two artworks by Matthew Bakkom (The Intimacy Machine, 1998 and The Cinevator, 2000) and one repeating installation of work (originally commissioned by the East Midlands Development Agency) by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (Under Scan, 2005-present). The artists’ works create references across media formats in their critique and application of projected, interactive film and projected media requiring community participation. Under the dynamic theme of interactivity, the artists’ work references a diverse range of ideals for community participation such as self-betterment, democracy, populism, truth, contingency, nationalism and representation. A crucial aspect shared by these three illustrated examples is each artwork’s inability to function without the participation of an audience (group) or viewer (individual). The paper will recount successive moments of participation and describe the dynamic actions of participation for each of these artworks. These moments and actions of participation, as well as the technological forms that structure such participation, will be mapped upon one of the two categories of ‘interactivity’ and ‘interface.’
The author hopes that the mapping of these categories can be applied by artists, curators and other researchers to distinguish ‘interface’ in theories of expanded cinema and related lens-based, projected media practices from those practices and audience engagements traditionally defined as ‘interactive.’
The paper will seek to define and demonstrate ‘interface’ as a specific construct that has perpetuated the evolution of cinematic events into relational forms conducted through theories and practices of audience participation (Kaprow, Agamben), duration (Viola, Bergson) and site-specificity (Kwon, Deleuze). The paper will emphasize that the interface of relational forms designates a significant conceptual shift from user-to-technology (interactive) engagements to the instrumentalisation of a globally distributed "participant team." This "team" is simultaneously engaged with the event of time-based media across multiple locations in successive or simultaneous arrangements. The paper considers these works as those which take a relational approach, following the 21st Century, multi-national curating of Nicolas Bourriaud who applies David Harvey’s concepts of the dynamics of human value to the contradictions inherent in the relations of capital.
The paper will use visual illustrations and diagrams of two artworks by Matthew Bakkom (The Intimacy Machine, 1998 and The Cinevator, 2000) and one repeating installation of work (originally commissioned by the East Midlands Development Agency) by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (Under Scan, 2005-present). The artists’ works create references across media formats in their critique and application of projected, interactive film and projected media requiring community participation. Under the dynamic theme of interactivity, the artists’ work references a diverse range of ideals for community participation such as self-betterment, democracy, populism, truth, contingency, nationalism and representation. A crucial aspect shared by these three illustrated examples is each artwork’s inability to function without the participation of an audience (group) or viewer (individual). The paper will recount successive moments of participation and describe the dynamic actions of participation for each of these artworks. These moments and actions of participation, as well as the technological forms that structure such participation, will be mapped upon one of the two categories of ‘interactivity’ and ‘interface.’
The author hopes that the mapping of these categories can be applied by artists, curators and other researchers to distinguish ‘interface’ in theories of expanded cinema and related lens-based, projected media practices from those practices and audience engagements traditionally defined as ‘interactive.’
Registration and Programme Information:
http://www.film-philosophy.com/conference/
Support for INTERFACE: THE MOVE TO GLOBAL PARTICIPATION provided in part by the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.
http://www.film-philosophy.com/conference/
Support for INTERFACE: THE MOVE TO GLOBAL PARTICIPATION provided in part by the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.
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