Interaction and Performativity in Digital Art Exhibitions

Vuokko HarmaUniversity of Sussex

UK

Sociological inquiry

• Sociology of art

– Art production (Becker 1982)

– Exhibiting (MacDonald 2002)

– Experiencing arts (Heath & vom Lehm 2004)

• Characteristics of art institutions

– Thought provoking, encouraging for individual / subjective perception

Interactive digital art

• ’An art world is born when it brings togetherpeople who never cooperated before to

produce art' (Becker 1982)

• The development of the interactive art has shifted focus from object to process.

The visiting experience

• Shared meaning of art museum and gallery

• Socially and culturally determined rules and norms of the visit

• Cultural competence of the visitors

• Performing in front of the audience -the symbolic interactionist approach (Goffman 1959, Scott 2007)

Interaction in interactive exhibition?

• The cultural and social transformation of museum space

– From traditional object-centred to interactive visitor-focused

• Changes in visiting experience

– From passive stroll to active engagement

• Different levels of interaction

– With artwork (human-computer interaction)

– With other visitors (humam-human interaction)

Methodology

Two case studies from interactive art exhibitions Research questions:

1. What situations give rise to feelings of shyness about how individuals are being perceived and what data is being collected about them

2. How do gallery/museum visitors engage with exhibitions?

3. What are gallery/museum users’ understandings and experiences of shyness?

4. What do they experience as shyness triggers in the context of gallery/museum spaces?

Methods includes qualitative fieldnotes, observation, interviews with staff and visitors, focus group with artists, curators and museum/gallery staff.

Situationally emerging emotions

• Rather than individuals being inherently shy or non-shy, shyness emerges situationally in the context of interaction (Scott 2007)

• Shyness, embarrassment and intimidation requires interaction with other people.

' Feelings of shyness arise when one perceives oneself as relatively incompetent at interaction, and fears being exposed as a poor team player. If we anticipate that we will say or do ‘the wrong thing’ and face embarrassment, surely it makes perfect sense to defend oneself emotionally by remaining quiet and avoiding the spotlight of a frontstage performance' (2006:143, see also 2007:42).

Shyness and competence

• Relative incompetence

– The competent other

• Different levels of competences

– Cultural, social

– Technological

• Shyness as frustrated sociability

Conclusion

• Transformation of museums and galleries

• Changed role of the visitor

• New levels of competences

• Increased performativity and interactivity