• First, it was interactivity. Then, it was Interaction design or experience design. Now it's Interactive Art. What exactly is an interactive art?

So I did some research and found some definitions of Interactive art.

Wikipedia:

Interactive art is a form of art that involves the spectator in some way. Interactive Art can be distinguished from Generative art, Electronic art, or Immersive art in that it is a dialog between the piece and the participant; specifically, the participant has "agency" (the ability to act upon) the piece and is furthermore invited to do so in the context of the piece, i.e. the piece has "affordance" or "affords" the interaction.

Couey & Malloy (1993):

Interactive art involves exchange between its originator, work, and participants. It often emphasizes communication, process, and the building of perceptual systems.

Definition by fellow QUT student, Amy Robinson (2005):

Interactive art is a piece of art intended for the spectator's direct participation (Turnerhouse, 2005). Interactive artists aim to positively encourage viewers to create their own narratives or associations with their interactive works (Rush, 1999, p.201). This can be achieved by letting observers walk in, on or around the art work (Art History Club, 2005). Other works include computers and sensors which respond to body reactions such as motion, or heat (Art History Club, 2005). Many pieces of Electronic art and Internet art are highly interactive. Some art works allow visitors to navigate through a hypertext environment online; some works are altered by textual or visual input from outside; and some allow the spectator to alter the course of a performance (Art History Club, 2005).

Here are some useful links on interative art.

- http://www.artcenter.edu/exhibit/digital/essay.html
- http://www.well.com/~couey/interactive/
- http://www.fabrica.it/artreport/2006/01/interactive_art_as_a_synesthet.php
- http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/New_Media_Art_-_Interactive_Art
- http://aesthetic-machinery.com/articles-radioart.html
- http://aesthetic-machinery.com/documents_pdf/ritter_banff.pdf
- http://aesthetic-machinery.com/articles-intersectionart.html

This is the paragraph I wrote for my essay (assignment 1) on Interactive Art.

• According to Marini (2006) the works showcased in ReActive are considered interactive art or a participatory art which brings the audience into the work and brings out spontaneous or unpredictable interaction among its viewers. He (2006) goes on by saying that these art are presented essentially as a process or even a work in progress rather than a result or a finished artwork. These works are "dialogs between the piece and the participant; specifically, the participant has "agency" (the ability to act upon) the piece and is furthermore invited to do so in the context of the piece, i.e. the piece has "affordance" or "affords" the interaction." (Wikipedia, 2006). In interactive art, it is not just about participation but "a two-way interplay between an individual and an artificial intelligence system; a system of reciprocation between an input devide and an output device" (Popper, 1999, p.8, wikipedia 2006, Ritter 2005).