From Alan01 to AlanOnline - A study of the different characteristics of physical media installations and non-material art

Abstract

This thesis is a study of the characteristics of the presentation media of artwork that can exist in physical and non-material form. Physical in this context refers to physical installations, and non-material is used to define artworks where the designer has little or no control over the presentation media, such as online artwork. I have chosen a set of characteristics, which I have found central to the topic, and my aim is to discover how such characteristics behave in practice. These key concepts are: technical aspects of the presentation media, human computer interaction, interface design, space, spatial narrative, collaborative experience, access, exhibition value, immersion, embodiment, real-world objects and metaphors. The set of characteristics is by no-means all-encompassing, but a selection that I have discovered through conversation with colleagues and professionals and through my personal research. It is also aimed to meet the requirements for the scopes of an MA thesis paper. The characteristics are discussed in reference to practical examples of artistic productions, and through my own work as a member of the production team that created the Alan01 installation and its non-material counterpart AlanOnline, which are used as a case study for this thesis.