Opening the Frameof the Art Museum:

technology as art and tool

Kirsten Boehner, Geri Gay, Phoebe Sengers, Eugene Medynskiy, Eric Lee, Arun Israel, & Xiaowen Chen

Departments of Communication, Information Science, Computer Science, Art

Human Computer Interaction Group & Culturally Embedded Computing Group

New Technology for Information about Art

New Technology for Art

Simon Penny, et al.’s Traces

New Technology for Art or Tool

focus: “utility” for tasksfavor: accuracy, effectiveness

focus: “aesthetic” of experiencefavor: poetics, interpretability

focus: transcendence of art / artist expertise of curator anonymity of visitor

Technology as Tool: Information Transfer

• What experiences are marginalized?• How are new experiences introduced?

Hybridizing Technology as Art and Tool

focus: “utility” for tasksfavor: accuracy, effectiveness

focus: “aesthetic” of experiencefavor: poetics, interpretability

?Activity

Presence

Case Study 1: Imprints in the Museum

Making One’s Mark

Viewing Visitor Imprints: Social Navigation

Viewing Visitor Imprints: Collective Expression

Assessing Imprints Experience

• Handheld application more effective for navigation and reflection

• Visitors actively reading information into the imprints: e.g. kindred spirits

• Site specific nature worked well

• Combine functions into one form

• Allow for more interpretation

• Continue with site specific goal

Further inspiration: personal memory

Design Objectives

• Combine art and tool functionality• Design for openness to interpretation• Be site specific• Technically simple, conceptually rich; Avoid novelty interface • Permeate museum experience

Design Sketch: Birdscapes

Presence/activity = Absence of Birds

Birdscape Implementation

Birdscape Evaluation

• PostcardsComment book

• Interviews• Observations

Birdscape Experience

[The sounds made me…]

“feel invited. I loved the bird chatter. It added to the serenity and felt like wonderful company”.

“feel surprised at first because I thought I was outside. But it was actually pretty peaceful. Props.”

“feel as if I could picture myself outdoors in one of the lovely scenes depicted in the hanging scrolls.”

“on a beautiful day like today, they made the indoors like the outdoors.”

Revisiting Objectives

• Permeate museum experience • Technically simple, conceptually rich; Avoid novelty interface• Be site specific• Design for openness to interpretation• Combine art and tool functionality

Technical Challenges

• Binary on/off made varying feedback difficult• Low degree of sensitivity• No integration of information• Accessible to visitor contact

Next Steps

• More sophisticated data capture– Activity levels– Varying Feedback

• Privacy issues• Visual representation

– Hidden spaces / living museum (e.g. ‘guard interface’)– Inside out

• Collaboration HCI, CS, Art