DocumentingInternet­basedArtTheDullaart­SakrowskiMethod

Researchreportby:KimberleySpreeuwenberg

Incollaborationwith:AnnetDekker,ConstantDullaart,SandraFauconnier,Sabine

Niederer,RobertSakrowski,andWardtenVoorde

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TableofContents:

0.NederlandseIntroductie..................................................................................... 03

1.Introduction ........................................................................................................... 04

2.Collaborators.......................................................................................................... 05

3.TheProject............................................................................................................... 06

3.1Pre­pilot:TechnicalTrial24thNovember2011 ............................... 06

Uncertainties ........................................................................................................................................07

a.Conceptual ..........................................................................................................................07

b.Technical .............................................................................................................................09

c.Practical...............................................................................................................................11

3.2Pilot1and2onthe8thand15thofDecember2011 ..................................... 13

3.2.1.Pilot1 ........................................................................................................ 13

3.2.2.Pilot2 ........................................................................................................ 15

4.Conclusion................................................................................................................ 15

4.1RecommendationsforInstitutionsorArtists .................................... 17

5.FutureResearch .................................................................................................... 17

6.Appendix .................................................................................................................. 19

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0.NederlandseIntroductie

BeeldendkunstenaarConstantDullaartenkunsthistoricusRobertSakrowskihebben

eenmethodeontwikkeldvoorhetdocumenterenvaninternetkunstwaarbijnietde

technologischeaspecten,maardepersoonlijkeinteractiemethetkunstwerkende

(historische)contextcentraalstaan.Denadrukligtophetzonatuurlijkmogelijk

registrerenvandezeinteractiedoormiddelvaneenparticipatoryDIYmethodiek.

Mensenmoetendezemethodethuiszelfstandigkunnenuitvoerenenvervolgens

uploadenopYouTube.

NaaraanleidingvanditprojectheeftonderzoeksprojectCultureVortexeenpre‐

pilotandtweepilotsessiesgeorganiseerdomdezesubjectievemethodeineen

gecontroleerdeomgeving(i.p.v.bijvoorbeeldeenthuissituatie)tetesten.Inlijnmethet

doelvanCultureVortexompublieksparticipatietestimulereninonlineculturele

collectiesprobeertdezepilotantwoordtegevenopdevraaghoeinteractiemeteen

onlinecollectiegedocumenteerdkanwordenenwelketoepassingendezedocumentatie

vervolgenskanhebben.Indepilotwordtonderzochtopwelkemanierdeze

documentatiemethodehetbesteuitgevoerdkanworden,enwordtinzichtverkregenin

deobstakelsenvalkuilenvandezemethode.Dezeinformatiekanvervolgensgebruikt

wordenomdemethodeaantescherpenenaanbevelingentedoenvoorkunstenaarsen

instellingendiedezemethodewillengebruiken.Voormeerinformatieoverdemethode

vanDullaartenSakrowski,iseeninterviewdooronderzoekerencuratorAnnetDekker

telezenop:net.artdatabase.org/about/(eenNederlandseverkorteversieistelezenop

http://www.tubelight.nl/articles/1321/het‐vastleggen‐van‐een‐culturele‐esthetiek‐het‐

documenteren‐van‐netkunst).

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1.Introduction

Inlightoftheinternet‐basedart(netart)documentationprojectinitiatedbyartist

ConstantDullaartandarttheoristRobertSakrowski,theCultureVortexresearch

programorganizedapre‐pilotandtwopilotsessionsinacontrolledenvironmenttotest

theirproposedsubjectivemethodofdocumentingnetart.InlinewiththeaimofCulture

Vortextoencouragepublicparticipationinonlineculturalcollections,thisprojectseeks

toanswerhowinteractionwithan(online)collectioncanbedocumented,andwhat

(future)purposethisdocumentationcanhave.DullaartandSakrowskiunderstandnet

artasaworkthatismeanttobeshownonapersonalcomputer,makinguseofits

connectiontotheWorldWideWeb.

DullaartandSakrowskihavedevelopedamethodtodocumentnetartthataims

tomovebeyondthetechnicalspecificationsandtheinteractionmodeloftheartwork.

Theytrytocapturethereceptionofnetartinanenvironmentinwhichitwasoriginally

perceived.AsSakrowskiexplains,“thecontext,theprivateatmosphere,andthe

hardwareinteractiondefinesalargepartofthe‘netartactivity.’”Thedocumentation

shouldthusrepresentfourdifferentlayers:

1. Thehardware:computer,monitor,keyboard,mouse,netaccess,handheld

devices,laptopsetc.

2. Thesoftware:operatingsystem,browser,server,plug‐insandFlash,Javaetc.

3. Thesurroundings:noise,furnishing,livingroom,workingspace,bedroom,other

peopleintheroom.

4. Theinteraction:collaboration,participationoftherecipient.

Toreflectthesedifferentlayerstheydevelopedatemplateforvideodocumentationin

whichtheworkofartispresentedasasplit‐screen:ononesideisascreengrab

displayingtheartworkwhileausernavigatesit,andontheother,anover‐the‐shoulder

shotshowingtheuserintheir(personal)environmentinteractingwiththeartwork.

Becausethismethodemphasizesthe“receptionsituation,”asituationthatshouldbeas

“natural”aspossible,itisimportantforuserstobeabletocreatethedocumentationof

theartworksthemselves,intheirownsurroundings.Thetemplateshouldthusbeeasily

executabletoallowforthiskindofparticipation.Thisdoesnotonlyregardtothe

documentationprocessitself,butalsothedatabase,storageandprovidingtheright

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metadescriptions.DullaartandSakrowskichoosetouseYouTubeforthispurpose:itis

publiclyaccessibleandeasy‐to‐use,providesacheapwayofstoringdata,andby

includingametadataformitispossibletocreateadatabasewithinYouTube.

Thegoalofthisprojectistofindouthowbesttocarryoutthismethodandto

gaininsightsintotheobstaclesofdocumentingnetartinthismanner.Theinformation

revealedthroughthisresearchcanbeusedtodevelopDullaartandSakrowski’s

proposedtemplatefurtherandmakeitmoreaccessibleforusers,itcanbeusedto

reflectcriticallyontheirproposedmethod,andtomakerecommendationsforartists

andinstitutionswhowouldliketousethismethodintheirdocumentationofnetart.For

moreinformationabouttheDullaart‐Sakrowskimethodyoucanreadaninterviewwith

thembyAnnetDekkeratnet.artdatabase.org/about/.

2.Collaborators

AnnetDekkerHeadofResearch.Independentcuratorandresearcherwithsubjectsofinterestincludingtheinfluenceofnewmedia,scienceandpopularcultureonartandviceversa.HerPhDisonstrategiesfordocumentingnetartattheCentreforCulturalStudies,Goldsmiths,UniversityofLondon,underthesupervisionofMatthewFuller(since2008).http://aaaan.net/hub/annet‐dekker/ConstantDullaartArtistandCreatorofnet.artdatabase.org.Trainedasavideoartist,hisworkhasrecentlyfocussedontheinternetandre‐contextualizingfoundmaterial.Hisworkshowsthechangingvernacularofthecontemporarycomputeruser,andhowglobalcorporations(Google,Adobe,Apple)controlthisnewvisualgrammar.TogetherwithRobertSakrowskihestartedhttp://net.artdatabase.org/about/todocumentnetartinitssurrounding.http://constantdullaart.com/SandraFauconnierArtHistorian(MA,GhentUniversity,1997)withabackgroundinarchitecture.WasamediaarchivistatV2_InstitutefortheUnstableMedia(Rotterdam,NL)andworkedforthemediathequeandcollectionoftheNetherlandsMediaArtInstitute(Amsterdam,NL).Currently,sheisprojectleadforARTtube,awebsitewithvideosaboutartanddesign,atMuseumBoijmansVanBeuningen(Rotterdam,NL).http://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrafauconnierSabineNiedererHeadofCREATE­IT,theappliedresearchcenteroftheSchoolforDesignandCommunicationattheAmsterdamUniversityofAppliedSciences.SheisalsocoordinatoroftheDigitalMethodsInitiative,thenewmediaPhDprogramattheDepartmentofMediaStudies,UniversityofAmsterdam.InherPhDprojectSabinestudiesthetechnicityofonlinecontent,suchasthenon‐humancontentagentsthatco‐authoronlinecontent(i.e.Twitterbots,Wikipediabots),inananalysisofclimatechangeskepticismontheWeb.From2004until2012,SabineworkedattheInstituteofNetworkCultures,withdirectorGeertLovink.RobertSakrowskiCreatorofnet.artdatabase.org.Arthistorianandcuratorinthefieldofnet‐basedart.Hefoundedthenetart‐datenbank.orgin1999andwasalsoafoundingmemberofthe

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web.museume.V.intheyear2005.Since1999hehasbeendealingwiththeproblemofhowtocollectandpresentnetartwhilepreservingitsspecificcontext.CurrentlyrunningtheinitiativeCuratingYouTube.KimberleySpreeuwenbergProductionandReport.RecentlyobtainedherMAinNewMediaattheUniversityofAmsterdamwithathesisonopensourcecritique(Androidspromiseoffreedom,arenewalofopensourcecritique).Alsohasabackgroundingraphicdesign.www.kimmyspreeuw.nlWardtenVoordeVideo&Post­production.Independentmediaproductionprofessional.Expertinaudiovisualdocumentationofmediaartandinstallations.

3.TheProject

1.Overviewofpilotsetting.

3.1Pre­pilot:TechnicalTrial24thNovember2011

Togetaclearideaofthetechnicalspecificationsandotherrequirementsfor

documentingnetartfollowingthetemplatedevelopedbyDullaartandSakrowski,we

organizedatechnicaltrial.AnnetDekker,PhDresearcherfocusingondocumentingnet

art,SandraFauconnier,collectionarchivistinthe(new)mediaartsector,Kimberley

Spreeuwenberg,producerandWardtenVoorde,expertinaudiovisualdocumentationof

mediaartandinstallations,discussedthenecessaryequipmentandtookalookatthe

UsabilityLaboftheHvA.Incontrasttotheprivateenvironmentforthedocumentation

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settingdescribedbyDullaartandSakrowskiintheirmethod,whichismeanttoreflect

thepersonalor“natural”surroundingsofthedocumentalist,wechosetousea

controlledsettingforourpilots.Thiswaschosenbecauseitwouldallowustocompare

thewaysthetestpersonsinteractwiththeartworksandtogetaclearerideaofthe

conceptual,technicalandpracticaldifficultiespresentinthismethod.

Uncertainties

Whilediscussingtheprojectitbecameclearthattherewerestillanumberof

uncertaintiesatthisstage:Whatqualityshouldthedocumentationhave,HDorweb?

Whatisthepurposeofthedocumentations?Whatsoftwareformakingthescreengrab

shouldweuse?Whowillbethetestpersons,andhowinformedshouldtheybe?Does

thematerialneedtobeedited?Whatsoundshouldwerecord?Howshouldweposition

thetestperson?Whatshouldtheangleofthecamerabe?Doweneedartificiallight?

Theseconceptual,technicalandpracticaluncertaintieswerediscussedwithDullaart

andSakrowski:

a.Conceptual

Asdescribedearlier,forDullaartandSakrowskiitisimportantforthedocumentationto

be“asnaturalaspossible”—theemphasisinthedocumentationisonhowpeople

experiencetheartworkandaboutreflectinganideaoftheerainwhichtheyexist.As

Fauconnierexplained:“HistoricallyIthinkitisveryimportant,becauseofthewaythatit

notonlydocumentsthe‘immediate’workbutalso(andespecially)thecontextand

interaction.”WhilediscussingtheDullaart‐Sakrowskimethodandcomparingitto

othersfordocumentingnetartitbecamecleartherearesometensionsbetweenthe

purposeandpracticeoftheirdocumentationmethodandothermethodsthatfocus

moreonthetechnicalaspects.Theybothtrytoreflecttheartwork,butthemore

technicalmethodisfocusedontheinteractionmodel,tryingtoshowallthenavigation

optionsofanartworkanditstechnicalspecificities—theinteractionoftheartwork—the

Dullaart‐Sakrowskimethodfocusesoninteractionwiththeartwork.Accordingto

DullaartandSakrowskiatechnicalcopyoftheartworkisimpossiblesince,

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the implications of these network‐based artworks suggests that theartwork functions only as intendedwhen in the context of that network.Thismeansthatdocumentationshouldincludeenoughsocialandtechnicalenvironmentalqualitiesandan illustrationoftheenvironmentwherethework is experienced, that we believe multiple documentations of theimpressions viewers had of the work. This is currently the best way topreservetheseartworks.

Wehavetounderstandandportraytheartworkinitscontext:whereitis“used”and

howpeopleinteractwithitwithoutbeingobsessedwiththe“wholeness”oftheartwork

inatechnicalsense.

AsFauconnierpointedout“theexplicitpossibility[oftheDullaart‐Sakrowski

method]toassembleavarietyofvideoswiththeexperiencesofdifferentpeople

browsingthesameworkemphasizeshowtheindividual,personalperceptionofawork

isimportantinnetart.”Moreover,asSakrowskiexplains,itillustratesthatthe“whole”

activityofbrowsingnetartisneverinasingleplace,“itwilleveronlybean

interpretation,avariation.Thatmeansthatallversions,alldocumentedvideostogether

willonlycomeneartowhata‘netartactivity’is.”

InrelationtothisFauconnieralsonoted:“AsacollectionholderIwouldfindit

valuabletoalsohavedocumentationoftheartiststhemselves,andeventuallyexperts

(arthistorians,critics)astestpersonsusingthissamemethod.Iwouldliketobeableto

documentawiderangeofperspectivesonthework,notjustamateurvisitors.”Inthis

understanding,thewholenessdoesnotnecessarilystemfromoneallencompassing

documentation,butarangeofdocumentationsofthesameworkthatcomplementeach

other.AsDullaartdescribed,“Imaginethattheworkhassidestoitthathaveneverbeen

seenduetoslow[internet]connectionspeedsormalfunctioningsoftware.Isituptous

todocumenttheselayersoftheartwork?Shouldn’twerespectthematerialityofthe

WorldWideWeb,andthewaysthattheviewersoftheartworksengagedwiththem?”

Thefocusonthedocumentationsettingbeing“asnaturalaspossible,”put

forwardbyDullaartandSakrowski,hasgreatvaluebutcanalsobequestionedas

Dekkerexplains:

Thevalue is that itgivesaglimpseofwhatpeopledowhentheywatchanet artwork, what strikes them, what they leave aside. This for me isparticularlyvisiblewhenyouusevideoscreencapture.Acameracapture

9

that also shows the conditions inwhich something isviewed isof coursealso interesting in that it tells somethingabout the context (whatdidtheequipment look like, the environment, etc.), but it is important to knowthat this will always be very much staged and thus subjective. Aninterestingquestionthatcomeswiththisisofcourseinwhatwaythisaddstotheexperienceornot?

Thisparadoxissomethingwenoticedduringtheexecutionofthepilots.AstenVoorde

explains,theconceptof“asnaturalaspossible”isofcoursecomplicatedinrelationto

thefactthatwearefilming,andthus,toacertainextent,itisalwaysstaged.

Iquestion what a “natural” video documentation is.My opinion isthatusing a camera in itself alreadyisan intervention and therebyshowsasubjective reality. This means that even when the goal is to make an“objective”aspossibledocumentationof a “natural”situation, itstill isamatter of making decisions onlocation, camera positions and settings,lighting,sound,setdressingetc.tomakeitlook“|natural”andtechnicallygood.

Inthecaseofourpilotweusedacameramaninsidealaboratory,whichisquiteafar

lengthfromthesettingproposedbyDullaartandSakrowskiwhosuggested,forinstance,

asetupwithanHDcapablesmartphoneonatripodinalivingroomorofficewherethe

camerabecomesananonymousobserver.However,thistensioncanberesolvedtoan

extent.AsDullaartproposes,theideaofanaturalsettingcanberestored“aftersimple

practicewithinthissetting,justasasubjectofadocumentarymoviehastogetusedto

theideaofunmannedcameras.Perhapssomecasualsurfingwouldberecommended

beforetheactualrecordingstarts.”

b.Technical

Theconceptualgroundsdiscussedaboveleadtoparticulartechnicaldecisions.Dullaart

andSakrowskiexplainedthatforthemthepurposeofthedocumentationisata

minimumpurelyarchival—forYouTube—howeverwherepossibletheyliketocollect

allthematerialasaback‐up.Bothprefertheover‐the‐shouldershotasthescreengrab

inHDquality,anh274fileformat,anduploadingittoYouTubeinthehighestquality

available(HD1028p).

Fauconnierpointedoutthatfromtheperspectiveofthecollectionholderitis

interestingtohavethematerialinabetterqualitythantheYouTubefilestobeableto

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presentitonalargerformat.Theparticularpurposes—“archival”or“presentation”—

thusinfluencethequalitythatisnecessary.Yet,Fauconniernotedthatfromthe

perspectiveofacollectionholderthesedecisionsforpresentationareespecially

dependantontheartists’permissionsandtheirdesiresforthepresentationofthework.

WeeventuallydecidedtorecordinHD1280x720becausewehadaccesstothis

equipmentandcouldeasilytoneitdownafterwardstomatchvariousvisualqualities.

Anothertechnicalaspectthatrequiredadecisionwasthesoftwareusedforthe

screencapture.Thisdecisionwasdependentonthefactthatpeopleneedtobeableto

usethetechnologyathomebythemselveswithoutanyprofessionalexperience.Andas

Fauconniersaid,“IfIwouldmakeanyrecommendationsinthisarea,itwouldbeinthe

directionofusingopenstandards,oratleastwidelyusedvideoformatsandcodecs”to

makesurethedocumentationscanbeviewed,sharedandmostimportantlyuploadedto

YouTube.

OneofouroptionswastheTobiisoftwarethatwaspresentontheWindows

computerintheUIlab.Thissoftwaredidnothavethemostup‐to‐datecodecs(we

preferredH.264,themostoftenusedweb‐basedcodecswithgoodquality).Moreover,

thissoftwareisveryMicrosoft‐orientedregardingfileformatsitcanexport.Forinstance

itcouldnotexportQuickTimemovies.Itwasalsotoolimitedinthesettingsitofferedfor

thescreenandvideocapture,andsinceitisprofessionaleyetrackingsoftwareitisalso

ratherexpensive.

TheotheroptionweexploredwastheopensourcesoftwareCamstudio.Sinceit

isopensourceandfreeitseemedaveryviableoption.Thisfreesoftwareversion

howeverisonlyMicrosoftcompatibleandwehadaWindowscomputeravailabletous

fromtheUILabforthepilotsthatwecouldnotinstallnewsoftwareon.Eventuallywe

choosetouseIShowU,Macsoftware,onaMacBookProlaptop.Thissoftwarewasalso

usedbyDullaartandSakrowskiandseemedtohavethebestsettingsandcodecoptions.

Moreover,ourcameramanwasusedtoworkingwiththissoftwareandfromthethree

optionsitwasthemostaffordable.Ofcourse,thedownsideofIShowUisthatitonly

worksonApplecomputers.Overall,asDullaartpointedout“furtherresearchintoa

freelyaccessiblecross‐platformscreencapturesoftwarewouldberecommended.”

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OverviewofSpecifications/SettingsoftheCameraandSoftwareusedDuringthisPilot:

Cameraspecifications:

Model:HDcamcorder,CanonXF100

Videocompression:MPEG‐2longGOP

Audiocompression(internalmicrophone):LineairePCM,16bits,48kHz,2channels

Fileformat:MXF

Camerasettings:

50Mbps(CBR,4:2:2)1280x720,50P(Progressivescan)

f4.0/3.7,s1/50,WhiteBalance3100K

IShowUHDsettings:

Video:1280x720,50P,16:9,AppleIntermediateCodec.

Audio:LineairePCM,16bits,48kHz,2channels

Fixedmousemode;MakesoundclickonNONE;Springinesssolid

Display1360x768.

Softwareversion2.2.7(download:http://www.shinywhitebox.com/ishowu‐hd/)

Computersettings:

MacBook“UniversalAccess”settings:activateaccesstoassistivedevicesON.

Computerspecifications:

MacBookProlaptopOSX10.5Leopard

c.Practical

Onapracticallevel,theDullaart‐Sakrowskimethodemphasizestheimportanceof

filmingthetestsubjectinsuchawaythattheirsurroundingsarealsodocumentedsoas

togiveanideaoftheerainwhichtheinteractiontookplace.Keepinginmindtheissues

raisedearlierintheconceptualnotes,wedecidedonthefollowingsettingsforthepilot:

‐ Testsubject:ThetestsubjectwillsitonthecouchthatisavailableintheUIlab

withaMacBookProlaptopOSX10.5Leopardonthetableinfrontofthemoron

theirlap.Weprovideacoupleofbrowserbookmarksofwheretheycanfindthe

workswewantthemtovisit.Theyarefreetoselectwhichthey’dliketoview,

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andlookatthemforaslongastheylike—wedon’tprovideanytimelimitor

backgroundinformation.Afterthetestsubjectsdecidetheyhaveseenenough,

weprovidethemwithsomeadditionalinformationabouttheartistandthe

worksofart(seeappendix),andthenlettheminteractwiththeartworksinthe

samemanneragain.

‐ Recordings:Thecameraispositionedbehindthetestpersonasanover‐the‐

shouldershot,registeringpartsoftheirsurroundingsaswellasaclearshotof

thecomputerscreen.TenVoordewillstartandstoptheover‐the‐shoulder

recordingsandtheIShowUHDsoftware.

‐ SelectionofArtworks:TheSelectionofthedocumentedartworksaredefinedby

SandraFauconnier,ascollectionholderofNIMk,andAnnetDekker,asaPhD

researcherfocusingondocumentingnetart.Wedecidedtochooseworksofart

thatareincollectionsofthecollaboratorsofthepilot,i.e.thecollectionofNIMk,

ImpaktandSKOR.AnnetDekkeriscurrentlyworkingwithSKORandhas

previouslycuratedImpaktonline.SabineNiedereriscurrentlyworkingasthe

curatorofthenetartprogramofImpaktOnline.

Pilot1:TheoDeutinger,WorldatWork(2008)http://td‐

architects.eu/worldatwork/,Jaromil,TimeBasedText(2005)http://tbt.dyne.org,

JODI,http://wwwwwwwww.jodi.org(1995),MartineNeddam,Mouchette(1996)

http://mouchette.org

Pilot2:ConstantDullaarthttp://therevolvinginternet.com(2010)and

http://thesleepinginternet.com(2011),AlexanderGalloway/Govcom.org,TheIP

Browser(2009)http://ipbrowser.digitalmethods.net,DaveGriffiths/Aymeric

Mansoux/MarloesdeValk,NakedonPluto(2011)http://naked‐on‐pluto.net,

LindaHilfling,MisspellingsGenerator(2007)http://www.misspelling‐

generator.org,JODI,GeoGoowebversion(2008)http://www.geogoo.net

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Collectionholders:

NIMk:TheNetherlandsMediaArtInstitutepromotesthewidedevelopment,application

anddistributionof,andreflectionon,newtechnologiesinthevisualarts.NIMksupports

mediaartinthreecoreareas:presentation,researchandcollection,andthroughits

facilitiesprovidesextensiveservicesforartistsandartinstitutions.

ImpaktOnline:TheImpaktFoundationfocusesonpresentingandstimulating

innovativeaudiovisualartsinaninterdisciplinarycontext.Annualnetartprojectsare

launchedonitswebgalleryImpaktOnline(www.impaktonline.nl).

SKOR:FoundationforArtandPublicDomainisaninternationallyoperatingDutch

institutionwhichadvises,developsandcreatesartprojectsinrelationtopublicspaces.

3.2Pilot1and2onthe8thand15thofDecember2011

2.Screenshotfromediteddocumentedmaterialpilot1.

3.2.1.Pilot1

Present:WardtenVoorde(cameraman),AnnetDekker(researcher),Kimberley

Spreeuwenberg(producer),testperson1(ZoëKooyman),testperson2(AnaRibeiro).

Thefirstpilotonthe8thofDecemberstartedwithabitofadelaybecausetherewere

difficultiesfindingtherightsettingsforIshowUHD.Forparticipants,weaskedone

(former)student(testperson1)ofthePreservationandPresentationoftheMoving

ImageMasteroftheUvAandoneintern(testperson2)fromNIMk.Whileoneofthem

wasinteractingwiththeartworkstheothercouldobserve.Beforestartingthe

documentationwebrieflyexplainedwheretheycouldfindthebookmarksforworkson

thebrowser,andincaseofTimeBasedText(TBT)wheretheycouldfindtheprogram

icononthedesktop.

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Duringthesessionoftestperson1Mouchettedidnotfunctionatfirstduetoa

proxythatwasblockedbytheLittleSnitchsoftwarepresentontheMacBookPro.After

thesession,testperson1explainedthatshethoughtwehadstagedtheblockedproxyto

seehowshewouldreacttoit.Thisremarkseemedtoindicatethatshewasconscious

andcontemplativeofherroleasatestpersonandofbeingfilmed,thusinfluencingher

engagementwiththeworks.Whenaskedaboutwheretherewereanydifficultiesshe

replied:“Idon’tknowhowitissupposedtoreact,didIseeeverything?Ijustclicked

around.”TheworkTBTwasparticularlyconfusingtoherasshewasn’tclearifitworked

ornot.

Itbecameapparentthatthisfirstengagementwiththeartworksisvery

exploratory;testpersonssometimesseemtorandomlynavigatethroughthewebsite

justtoseehowitreacts.TBTinparticulardidnotseemtocommunicateveryclearly

howitshouldfunction.Inrelationtothis,wealsowonderediftheactualinstallationof

thisartworkonthecomputer,somethingwepreparedforthepilot,shouldnotbepartof

thedocumentationitself.

AfterthisfirstsessionDekkergavethetestpersonsinformationaboutthe

artworks,andincaseofTBT,explainedhowitfunctioned.Inthiswaywecould,toa

certainextent,seeifthereweredifferencesinhowauserinteractswithaworkofart

withoutanyknowledgeofitcomparedtowhentheyareinformed,andexplorewhat

differentaspectsoftheartworksarerevealedorshownbytheuser.Asalldifferent

documentationsofanartworkcontributetoanunderstandingofits“wholeness,”the

documentationofatestpersoninteractingwithaworkafterthey’vebeengiven

informationaboutitareequallyimportant.

Thesecondsessionofthetestpersonsinteractingwiththeartworkswere

shorter,butmorethorough;theyknewwheretogoand/orwhatshouldhappen.Inthe

caseoftheworkbyJODIthetestpersonsnowknewthatthe“gibberish”theysawwas

theactualsourcecodeoftheimagethatisseenoncelookingintothesourcecode.Ona

morepracticalleveltenVoordenotedthattheTLlightintheroominterferedwiththe

visibilityofthecomputerscreen.Sincethesettingwasalreadysomewhatstaged,we

decidedtoshowtheworkonthescreenasbestaspossible.

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3.2.2.Pilot2

Present:WardtenVoorde(cameraman),SandraFauconnier(collectionholder),

KimberleySpreeuwenberg(producer),testperson3(RachaelPocock),testperson4

(CleoGraaf).

Thesecondpilotfollowedasimilarsetup.Thistimehoweverweaskedone

studentofthePreservationandPresentationoftheMovingImageMasteroftheUvA

(testperson3)andonestudentoftheHvA(testperson4),andSandraFauconnieralso

participatedasatestperson.Inthispilotthetestpersonsdidnotobserveeachother.

Fromtheoutset,testperson3interactedwiththeartworksverythoroughlyand

seemedtohaveagoodunderstandingofitspossibilitiesevenwithoutadditional

informationabouttheworks.Testperson4wastheopposite.Forinstance,inthecaseof

IPBrowsersheonlyclickedontheleftorrightnavigationbuttonsandmovedawayfrom

thewebsiteafterafewclicks.Testperson3alsousedthesearchboxtolookfor

websites.Fauconnierinteractedverythoroughlywiththeartworks,explainingthatshe

doesnotseeherselfasatypicaltestpersonbecausesheknowstheworksquitewelland

hasavastknowledgeofnetart.Shenavigatedthesiteswiththeintentionof

“demonstrating”themquitethoroughly.

Unfortunately,duringthispilotitturnedoutthatthewebsite‐basedartwork

NakedonPlutowasnotworking,andtherewereinternetconnectionproblemsafew

times.Inaddition,theGeoGooprojectdidnotfunctionoptimallybecausetherequired

GoogleEarthplug‐inwasnotinstalledontheMacBookPro.

4.Conclusion

ThegoalofthisprojectwastofindouthowbesttocarryouttheproposedDullaart‐

Sakrwoskimethodfordocumentingnetart.Theirmethodtriestocapturethereception

ofnetartinanenvironmentinwhichitwasoriginallyperceived,soastomovebeyond

netartasasetoftechnicalspecificationsoraninteractionmodel.Themethodreflects

theirassertionthatthe“wholeness”ofdocumentationcannotbefoundinonesingle

registration,butthecollectionofseveraldocumentationswilltogetherillustratewhata

workofnetartis.Throughstagingtheirmethodwithaseriesoftestpersonswetriedto

gaininsightsintotheobstaclesofdocumentingnetartinthismanner.Theinformation

16

revealedthroughthisresearchcanbeusedtodeveloptheirproposedtemplatefurther

andmakeitmoreaccessibleforusers,itcanbeusedtoreflectcriticallyontheir

proposedmethod,andtomakerecommendationsforartistsandinstitutionswhowould

liketousethismethodintheirdocumentationofnetart.

Weorganizedtwopilotsinwhichweaskedatotaloffivetestpersonstointeract

withaselectionofartworkstwiceeach;inthefirstinstancetheywerenotgiven

informationabouttheartworks,andinthesecondweprovidedthemwithadditional

informationabouttheworksandtheartist.Testpersonsinteractedwiththeworksvery

differentlyinthefirstinstancewhentheywerenotinformed.Someseemedtobemore

familiarwiththeinteractionpossibilitiesthanothers.

Whengiveninformationabouttheworksthewaysthedifferenttestpersons

engagedwiththembecamemoresimilar,andtheirexplorationoftheseartworkswas

morethorough,navigatingtomoreaspectsoftheworksonline.Incidentally,the

durationoftheinteractionwiththeartworkswasshorter.Thelimitedtimetheyspent

ontheartworksinthesecondsessionislikelyduetoalreadyhavingsomefamiliarity

withthemfromthefirstsession.Beinggiveninformationabouttheworksalsolikely

contributedtoshortenedtimesinthesecondsessionastheyhadanideaofwhatneeded

tobeexploredandthusspentlesstimerandomlyclickingaround.

Regardingtechnicalandpracticalaspects,itbecameclearthatwhendealingwith

anunnaturalsituation—thetestpersonrecordingthemselfwhilenavigatinganet

artworkasintheproposedmethod,orinourexaggeratedcaseofatestlabandthe

presenceofacameraman—itisnecessarytoexplorewhattheimportantconsiderations

are.Andasbecameclear,theseconsiderationsdependalotontheobjectiveofthe

documentation.Inourcaseitwasafirstattemptatsettinguptheequipmentinorderto

seeifandhowitworked,andwhatwouldbenecessaryforconductingthenextsession.

Wewerealsointerestedinseeingifwe,assemi‐novices,wouldbeableto“easily”

conductthedocumentationmethod.

Itbecameclearthatartworksinanonlineordigitalenvironmentarevery

unstableandoftenencounteranumberofproblemsincluding,asweobserved:thatthe

softwareofotherprogramscaninterfere(aproxyerror);theoft‐foundrequirementof

installingadditionalsoftware(GoogleEarthplug‐in);thebreakdownoftheinternet

17

connection;softwarethataworkisbuiltuponhaschangeditssettings;Google.

Consequently,itcouldbearguedthattheinstallationoftheworkofartonthecomputer

canitselfbepartofthedocumentation,butthisofcoursedependsonthegoalofthe

documentation.

4.1RecommendationsforInstitutionsorArtists

Beforestartingthedocumentationmethoditisimportanttohaveaclearconceptual

understandingofthepurposeofthedocumentation,andhowthisrelatestotechnical

andpracticalaspectsandrequirementstomakeclearwhatneedstobeconsideredfor

theprocess.

Ifthedocumentationmaterialneedstobepresentedviaabeamer,thequalityof

YouTubecanbetoolowandHDqualitywithalargerpixelratiomayberequired.The

necessityofhavingacamera,screencapturesoftware,atripod,andpreferablytwo

peopletoexecutethemethodcouldbeaproblemforthemethodwhichnecessitates

peoplebeingabletoexecutethedocumentationprocessathomebythemselves.In

addition,thelevelofinformingthetestpersonsabouttheartworksisdependantonthe

purposeofthedocumentation.Asourresultsindicated,ifamorethoroughnavigationof

anartworkisrequireditispreferabletoinformthetestpersonsaboutpossibilitiesof

thewebsiteandtheworkscomponents.However,astheconceptualdiscussionofthe

methodillustrates,differentversionsofdocumentationtogetherwillprovidethemost

thoroughpresentationoftheworkofart.

5.FutureResearch

ThesepilotsonlytestedthedocumentationportionoftheDullaart‐Sakrowskimethod,

anddidnotaddressthetemplateforuploadingthismaterialtoYouTube.Itisnecessary

tostudyandtestiftheprocessofuploadingtoYouTube,andthemetadataform,are

user‐friendly.Moreover,thispilotwasexecutedinamorecontrolledenvironmentthan

isenvisionedintheproposedmethod.Thereforeitcouldbeinterestingtoaskstudents,

forexamplethoseofthePreservationandPresentationoftheMovingImageMasterof

theUvA,tofollowboththecompletedocumentationmethodathomeaswellasthe

templateforuploadingthematerialtoYouTube(providedonthemethod’sproject

18

website.)Questionsthatariseabouttestsubjectsinproposingthisnewschemeinclude:

howdotheyinterpretthespecificationsprovidedbyDullaartandSakrowski?Isit

somethingthattheycanexecuteontheirownathome?Whatproblemsdothey

encounter?WhatkindofmaterialdotheyuploadtoYouTube?Isthisequallyuseable

fromtheperspectiveofacollectionholderorresearcher?

Forfutureresearchitwouldalsobeinterestingtogathermaterialdocumented

byexpertsortheartiststhemselvestoseehowartistsexecutethismethod,andto

documentthematerialnotonlyina“personal”setting,butalso,forinstance,atfestivals

orexhibitionstoseehowthesedocumentationscomplementeachother.Moreover,it

wouldbegoodtoresearchafewcaseswheretheworkitselfhasdisappearedwithonly

documentationremaining.Isitpossibletogetanideaofthework'soperationandintent

fromthedocumentationalone?Thisexamplewouldalreadyalludetothequestionof

thismethodregardingifandhowpeoplewillreacttothedocumentationinthefuture:

doesthedocumentationoftheworkthatnolongerexistsstillmakesense?Ifnot,what

additionalinformationisneeded?

Toconclude,thepresentationpossibilitiesofthesedocumentationsshouldbe

researched.Inwhatcontextcantheybeused—educational,nexttotheoriginalartwork

orontheirown—andinwhatformshouldtheybepresented—projected,onascreen

etc.

Furtherusesforthedocumentationscreatedshouldberesearchedinapossible

secondphaseoftheproject,includingexhibitionmodelsand/orcomparingtheDullaart‐

Sakrowskimethodtoothermethodsofdocumentation,presentation,andpreservation.

Otherinterestingquestionsthatfollowedfromthesepilotcasesinclude:Howtodeal

withoutsourcingculturalactivitiestocommercialserviceslikeYouTube?Whatarethe

(dis)advantages?Howtoincludedocumentationinexhibitionsettings?

DullaartandSakrowskiwouldliketoresearchfurtherpossibilitiesforencouraging

theirmethodasatime‐basedreceptiondocumentationexampleforexistingcollections,

butalsowithnewsales,andforstudyandfutureexhibitionpurposes.

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6.Appendix1.Informationthatwassenttotestpersonspriortothefirstrecording.__________________________

Pilot1and2‘netartdocumentationproject’8thand15thofDecember2011­Informationaboutworksdocumented&questionsforreflection.LocationHogeschoolvanAmsterdam,Rhijnspoorplein1,room05A12,5thfloor.From10.00till13.00PresentPilot1:Ward(cameraman)Annet(research)Kimmy(production)Testperson1and2Pilot2:Ward(cameraman),Kimmy(production)Sandra(collectionholder)Testperson3and4IntroductionPleasereadtheinterviewwithConstantDullaartandSakrowskionhttp://net.artdatabase.org/about/asthisgivesagoodideaofthesettingandgoalofthepilot.NotethatinsteadofapersonalspacewetestthedocumentationmethodinamorecontrolledmannerattheusabilitylabattheHvA.Otherthanthiswewilltrytostayascloseaspossibletothemethoddescribedontheirwebsite.TheobjectiveofthePilotWewanttofindouthowtheDullaart‐Sakrowskimethodcanbestbeexecutedkeepinginmindthegoalofhismethod,i.e.allowingpeopletodocumentnetartintheirpersonalsurroundings,whichemphasizestheirpersonalexperience.1.Captureaudienceexperience.Thegoalofthedocumentationistocaptureaudienceexperiencewhichcanbeusedatalaterstageinexhibitionsettingstoaddtotheworkortoreplacethework.Withthisgoalinmindweliketoanswerthefollowingquestions:

• Wheredoweneedtopositionthephysicalcamera?• Whathappenswiththelightingsituation(alsothinkofthismethodwhen

executedinadifferentenvironment)?• Whatroledoessoundplay(bothfromtheworkaswellastheenvironmentorthe

person)?• Wouldtherebeaneedtoeditthework(s)afterthey’vebeenrecorded?Whyso,

orwhynot?Whatsoftwareisbesttouse,whatarethespecifications,advantages,andlimitations?

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2.Template.Aproductofthesepilotswillnotonlybethedocumentedmaterial,butwealsowanttoworktowardsatemplateorprotocolthatpeoplecanfollowtodocumentnetartthemselves.Athttp://net.artdatabase.org/instructions/youfindtheinstructionsdescribedbyDullaartandSakrowski.

• Isthetemplateunderstandableforalayperson?• Whatneedsfurtherexplanation,andhowwouldyouexplainthat?• Isthemetadatasufficient,whatshouldbeaddedorchanged(thinkalsoofother

informationlike,personalinvolvementwithorpreviousknowledgeofthework,descriptionoftheexperience,etc)?

3.Questioningthemethod.Documentationisusedforvariouspurposes;thinkofpresentation,preservation,publicity,arthistoricalorsocialresearch,etc.Weliketofindoutifthemethodwe’refollowingnowissufficientforeachofthesedifferentusesandifnotwhatshouldbedifferent?Severalquestionsthatmighthelpinansweringthisare:

• Isitthebestwaytodocumentnetartinapersonal/subjectivemanner?• Whatdoesitshowandwhatdoesitnotshow?Andhowdoestheoneortheother

effecttheresult/goal?• Howdoesthemethodusedrelatetothegoal,wouldadifferentgoalrequirea

differentmethod,andwhatotherformscouldyouthinkof?• Howeasydoyouthinkitistousethismethodbyyourself?• Whatwouldbethepreferredpresentationplatformforthesedocumentation

sample(nowYouTubeischosen,butcanyouthinkofotherspaces)?Thispartwillreflectontheprocessofdocumentationandthedocumentationasend‐result.Thiscouldresultintheformofashortessay. PreparationWeexpectyoutohavereadtheinformationaboveandthementionedinformationonnet.artdatabase.org.Therewillbetwotestpersonspresentperpilot.Youwillswitchbetween‘testsubject’and‘observer’.Astestpersonyouwillfirstbeaskedtovisitasmallselectionofwebsitesrandomly,‘onyourownterms’withoutadditionalinformation.Afterthisweprovideyouwithsomeadditionalinformationabouttheartworksorartistsandyou’llbeaskedtovisitthesitesagain.Boththesesessionswillberecorded.

Asobserverwewouldlikeyoutokeepinmindtheobjectiveofthepilotabove.Youcantakenotesaboutthestepswetake,thetechnologicalspecificationssuchasthepositionofthecamera,light,soundsetc.andotherinformationthatshouldpossiblybementionedinthetemplate.ThetestdayandlayoutThetestpersonsitsbehindacomputerandisfilmedfromanover‐shouldershot.Thescreeniscapturedaswellpartoftheenvironment.Wewilldocumenthowthepersonnavigatesthroughthewebsite.Mostimportantlythephysicalcameracapturesthesubjectiveviewingexperience,iethepersonviewingthenetartinaspecificenvironment.Thescreencapturesoftwarewillcapturethecomputerscreen,themovementofthemouseandanyadditionalcomputersoundsthatareencounteredinthework.

21

2.Additionalinformationabouttheartworksthatwasgiventotestpersonsbeforethesecondrecordingsession.__________________________

Pilot1:AdditionalInformationPleasereadthisinformationaspreparationbeforethesecondsession.Itwillgiveyouabetterunderstanding,ormoreentrypoints,intotheartworks.TheoDeutinger,WorldatWork(2008)Nexttoarchitecturalwork,thearchitectTheoDeutingeralsoproducesso‐called'snapshotsofglobalization'.Theseareinformationvisualizationsandmapsrepresentingtheworld(anditsglobalization)ataparticularmoment.The"WorldAtWork"projectisamulti‐layeredvisualizationdepictingandexploringworldwideworkingpatternsoftheworldpopulation.Deutingerhaspresentedthisissueintheformofaworldclock.ThecentralelementsofthisclockareEarth'sorbitinoursolarsystemandEarth'srotationarounditsownaxis.Afterall,ourday/nightrhythmisbasedonthisnaturalcourseoftheplanet.Theclockshowsthetimesonwhichdifferentpartsoftheworldpopulationareworking,sleepingorenjoyingleisuretime.Bytakingtheworkingdayfromninetofiveasthepointofdeparture,theclockisprovidedwithacriticaldimensionwhenitcomestothedivisionoflabor.Asaresult,theclockrevealstheunbalanceddivisionoflaborbetweenthevarioustimezonesonourplanet.Deutinger'sworldclockshowstheactivityoftheworldpopulationatspecificmomentsofthedayandcreatesadirectconnectionbetweentheoriginsoftime‐thesolarsystem‐andthemostadvancedmeansofcalculatingtime:thecomputer.(Source:Impakt,http://www.impakt.nl/index.php/artworks/world_work) Jaromil,TimeBasedText(2005) Denis"Jaromil"Rojoisafreesoftwareprogrammer,amediaartistandactivist.HehasmadesignificantcontributionstothedevelopmentofmultimediaandstreamingapplicationsontheGNU/Linuxplatform(thefreecounterpartofcommercialbrandslikeMicrosoftandMacintosh).HewasborninPescara,Italy,butnowlivesinAmsterdam,Netherlands.TimeBasedTextcanbeconsideredsoftwareart,butaboveallitisanewformofdigitalpoetics.TimeBasedTextoffersacreative,experimental,joyfulandcriticalwayofhandlingdigitaltextbyimplementinginteractive,newsoftwareandnetworkcommunications. TimeBasedTextisatype‐performancethatillustratesfeelings.Theemphasisofthesoftwareisontheprocessofwriting/typing.Itisatoolfortime‐basedrecordingandplaybackoftheprocessoftypingamessage,withtheaccuracyofmilliseconds.Thebasicinterfacefortypingrecordsalltypingandplaysitbackexactlythewaythetextwastypedthefirsttime,includingallhesitationsandmisspellings.Itrevealsadditionalinformationondigitalpoetry,becausethespeedoftypingandreadingit,arevisualised.E‐mail,blogs,allkindsofdigitalmediacanbegivena“humantouch”byTBT. Thesoftwarehasbeenkeptasbasicaspossible,isfreetouseandusersareencouragedtoaddfunctionalities.ThespecialTBTwebsiteoffersspaceforTBT‐createdmessages,haiku’sandpoetry,sothatvisitorscanadmireeachotherswork.(Source:Impakt,http://impakt.nl/index.php/artworks/time_based_text)

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Note:Typeyourtext,whenfinishedpressctrl‐candgotothedesktoptofindyourfile(recorded‐text.html),doubleclicktoopen.JODI,wwwwwwwww.jodi.org(1995)DirkPaesmans&JoanHeemskerkworktogetherintheNetunderthecommonnameofJodi.Theycomefromtheworldofphotography,videoandperformanceandtransformtheprocesseswhichnormallyoccurinthebackgroundontothesurfaceoftheirWebpagesatjodi.org.Jodi.orgpositionsitselfasathoroughgoingcritiqueofInternetpractice,deployingthefamiliarglyphsandsignsofInternetprotocolbothascentralcomponentsofitslookandfeel,andinordertotesttheconventionsofcoding,designandtheorganisationof'content'ontheWeb.Thesiteisassembledaroundtheconceitofthemalfunctioninginterface,withtheindexpagestakingtheircuesfromcrashscreensalltoofamiliartomanyNetusers.In``Location''http://wwwwwwwww.jodi.organd``faq''http://wwwwwwwww.jodi.org/100cc/faq/index.html,thebrowserdisplaydoesn'tseemtobereadableexceptasletternoise,butrendersas‘readable’textwhenclickingon``ViewSourcecode''inthewebbrowser.Justasthewebsiteplayswithitsaccessibilityandnon‐accessibilityonthemeta‐datalevelofitsaddressschemes,itplayswithvisibleandhiddencodesonthedatalevelofitsfiles,makingwhat'splainopaqueandviceversa.(Source:MediaMaticMagazine,http://www.mediamatic.nl/magazine/previews/reviews/king/king_jodi.html)MartineNeddam,Mouchette(1996)ApioneerofnetartanddesignerofparticipatorycontentbeforetheadventofWeb2.0,MartineNeddamisanartistwhouseslanguageasrawmaterialforherworks.Speechacts,modesofaddress,wordsinpublicspacesarethethemesthatdriveherwork.OntheInternet,shehascreatedvirtualcharacterswholeadanautonomousartisticexistenceinwhichherownidentityisneverrevealed.Theidentityofthesecharactersisenergizedthroughtheparticipationofthesite’svisitors.Unpredictableeventsinspiredbyinternettersareattheverycoreofherartisticdevelopment.SucheventsalsorepresentcurrentconcernsaboutissuesofidentityinthiseraofWeb2.0.(Source:bienallemontreal,http://www.biennalemontreal.org/en/2011/artists/mouchette‐aka‐martine‐neddam) Mouchette.orgisaninteractivewebsitecreatedin1996byapseudonymouscharacter,anAmsterdam‐basedartistwhocallsherself"Mouchette".Withherinnocentsalutationandclaimstobe"nearlythirteen"[1]greetingusfromtheintroductionpage,whatinitiallyappearsasapersonalwebsiteofapre‐pubescentfemaleartist,evolvesintodarkerthemesinthesubsequentpages.(Source:wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouchette.org)

23

Pilot2:AdditionalInformationPleasereadthisinformationaspreparationbeforethesecondsession.Itwillgiveyouabetterunderstanding,ormoreentrypoints,intotheartworks.

ConstantDullaart,TherevolvingInternetandthesleepingInternetForConstantDullaarttheInternetservesasamediumaswellasasubjectofartisticproduction.HismainstrategyistheexplorationofthemultifacetedlanguagesofcontemporaryimagescirculatingontheInternetandtheirre‐contextualisationasfoundmaterialinamediumofitsown.Withhisartworks,theAmsterdam‐andBerlin‐basedartistdigsdeeplyintothecachesofanetworkedculturalproductionwithoutlimitingthemediumtosimpletechnologicaltraits:thedefaultstyleofWeb‐basedplatforms,theirwidespreadandoftenunscrutiniseduseaswellasthepopularityofgloballystandardisedinterfacesaremanipulatedwiththeaimofinvestigatingtheirsocialpotential.Dullaart’spracticerangesfromartmadewithandforself‐explanatorydomainnamessuchasTheRevolvingInternet.comorTheSleepingInternet.comandvideoworkssuchasYouTubeasaSubjectaswellastheadoptionofthisseriesofshortloopsfortherealspaceunderthetitleYouTubeasaSculpture.BrianDroitcourwritesforArtinAmericamagazine:“Dullaart’sready‐madesdemonstratehisinterestinwhatmightbecalled‘default’style—theblandtablesofsansseriftextandsoullessstockphotographythatframeadsforsomeofthemostcommonsearchterms(autoinsurance,cheapairlinetickets,pornography),baringtheunderbellyoftheInternet’spopularuse.”...andthecircleisturningandturningandturning—withnoendinsight.(Source:http://cont3xt.net/blog/?p=4567)AlexanderGalloway/Govcom.org,TheIPBrowser(2009)Googlehasgivenustherankedlistofsearchenginereturns.Librariansandeditorsprovidedirectories,theWebcategorizedhelpfullyintotopics.ThereisathirdwayofnavigatingtheWeb,stillpresentinthe"nextblog"featureofblogspot.com,whichrecallsearlyWebrings.TheIPBrowsercreatesanalternativebrowsingexperiencethatforegroundstheWeb'smachinehabitatandreturnstheuserbacktothebasicsoforderlyWebbrowsing.TheIPBrowserlooksupyourIPaddress,andallowsyoutobrowsetheWebsitesinyourIPneighbourhood,onebyoneintheorderinwhichtheyaregivenintheIPaddressspace.TheIPbrowserhasalimitedsetoffeatures:theusercaneitherclicktothenexthigherIPaddressornextlowerone,usingforwardandbackwardbuttons.Likearadioscanner,thebrowserskipsoveremptypartsofthespectrum,incrementingthecurrentIPaddressupwardordownwarduntilthenextIPhostingawebserviceonport80isfound.Inthisway,theuserisabletobrowsespecificIPaddressneighbourhoods.TheIPBrowserre‐contextualizestheWebasinfrastructurewithinwhichwebsitesarefit.(Source:DigitalMethods,http://ipbrowser.digitalmethods.net/about.html)DaveGriffiths/AymericMansoux/MarloesdeValk,NakedonPluto(2011)NakedonPlutoisaMultiplayerTextAdventureGameonFacebook.YouwakeuponPluto,inacityundertheruleofElasticVersaillesrevision14,acorruptedArtificialIntelligenceandformerentertainmentcolony.ItusedtobetheLasVegasoftheSolar

24

System,atrueparadiseforconsumersandcorporationsalike.Untilsomethingsnapped...Whathappenedandhowtoescape?Versaillesisacapitalofconvenience,anonstop24hrzoneofendlesspleasure,providedbyPluto’shugeentertainmentcorporations.Amuseyourselfandyourfriendsforhoursonendcollectingmeaninglesstokens,talkingtoourblandrobots,orsimplyrelaxandtakeinthestaggeringconformityofyournewhome.Takeabsolutelynonoticeoftheareasyouaren’tallowedtogointo,evenifitwerepossibletobreakoutofthezonearoundthePalace,whywouldyoupossiblywantto–orindeedwhychangethecorestructuresofthisworldwhentheyhavebeensoexcellentlytailoredtofityoureverydesire?Thegameexploresthelimitsandnatureofsocialnetworksfromwithin,slowlypushingtheboundariesofwhatistoleratedbythecompaniesthatownthem,carefullydocumentingthisprocessaswego.Storyandplayarecombinedwithaninvestigationonhowexposedweareonsocialnetworks,andhowourdataarebeingused.(Source:NIMk,http://nimk.nl/eng/naked‐on‐pluto)JODI,GeoGoodewebversie(2008)JODIexplorestherelationsbetweentheworldwebuildthroughtheInternetandtheonebasedonourpastmentalandphysicalmaps.ServicessuchasGoogleMapshavechangedradicallyourworldviewbymakingtheGlobeaccessibleasacommercialmulti‐usersurface.Mappingtheseonlinegeometricalconstructstorealityandviceversa,overlayingtheirfiguresasjoggingpaths,The'ParcRoyal'ofBrussels(WarandePark)becomesanINFOParkrevealingsymbolsandmysteriesofthecapitaleofBelgiumandEurope,amplifyingordeconstructingthemthroughanintricatewebofdataandassociations.In'GEOGOO',JODIappropriatesGoogleMapsasacanvasforanartisticinterventionthat,likemanyoftheirotherworks,challengesconventionalexpectationsofafamiliarinterface.Theartistduoaccomplishthisbyintroducingrandomnessandapparentchaos,bysubvertingcodeandsubtractingmeaning.Mapsoftheentireglobe,ofregions,seasandmountainranges,andevenofthemoonandthestarrysky,all'poweredbyGoogle',aresuperimposedwithagrowingdatabaseofcrazyandintricatemathematicalpatterns.Theshapesaredrawnwiththedefaultmarkers,placeholdersandpathsthatareavailabletousers,allowinganyonetoannotateandpersonalizetheirownGoogleMaps.Theshapesandlinesstronglyremindoftheoccultandmysticpractice,ofmanycenturies,ofsuperimposingesotericgeometricalsignsandsymbolsuponmaps.Thislongtraditionoftracingshapesincartography,ofexploringsecretinformationandmeaningsintheeverydayenvironment,isstronglyconnectedtoJODI'sowninvestigationofhiddencodes,patternsandmessagesindigitalsystems.(Source:Imal,http://www.imal.org/GEOGOO/ )