Week5 Start thinking: Why do we need interaction？Relationship between immersive space and spectator

This week, after the discussion, we began to think about some questions: 

Now we are in a world full of interaction, between people, between people and machines... More and more artworks begin to add the element of "interaction". Many works begin to put spectators in an immersive environment, and then use various scientific and technological means to make spectators interact with the environment.

Then we doubt, what is interaction? why do we need interaction? when we are in an immersive environment, what really is the relationship between people, time and space? 

Besides, in terms of the interaction method, should we use massive technology to make the interaction happen？ Is technology really that important? Can interaction be achieved without these technological means?

We looked for several examples and made a comparison:

Some immersive spaces with various technology:

 flower forest: lost, immersed and reborn in teamLab Borderless Museum (teamLab, 2018)

Universe of water particles in Pace Gallery, London (teamLab,2017)

Some artworks that without much technology but still make the interaction happen:

James Turrell. Afrum II Red (1970). 

Anthony McCall.Between You and I (2006).

Light Music © Lis Rhodes

We put forward a preliminary conclusion: the reason for interaction is that there are interactive elements in our environment, it needs us to interact. Even if there is only a beam of light, several walls, several colours, some sounds... can both interact with people.

Reference:

Anon, Afrum II Red (1970). James Turrell. Available at: https://jamesturrell.com/work/afrum-ii-red/ [Accessed November 8, 2021].

Anon, 2021. Anthony McCall. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_McCall [Accessed November 8, 2021].

TATE, 2012. Light Music© Lis Rhodes. [image] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/rhodes-light-music-t13857> [Accessed 11 April 2021].

teamLab, 2017. Universe of Water Particles, Transcending Boundaries. [video] Available at: <https://www.teamlab.art/w/waterparticles-transcending/pacelondon/> [Accessed 6 April 2021].