Opening the Frame

1
Opening the Frame of 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
2
New Technology for Information about Art
3
New Technology for Art
Simon Penny, et al.s Traces
4
New Technology for Art or Tool
focus aesthetic of experience favor poetics,
interpretability
focus utility for tasks favor accuracy,
effectiveness
focus transcendence of art / artist
expertise of curator anonymity of
visitor
5
Technology as Tool Information Transfer

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

6
Hybridizing Technology as Art and Tool
Activity Presence
focus utility for tasks favor accuracy,
effectiveness
focus aesthetic of experience favor poetics,
interpretability
7
Case Study 1 Imprints in the Museum
8
Making Ones Mark
9
Viewing Visitor Imprints Social Navigation
10
Viewing Visitor Imprints Collective Expression
11
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

12
(No Transcript)
13
Further inspiration personal memory
14
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

15
Design Sketch Birdscapes
Presence/activity Absence of Birds
16
Birdscape Implementation
17
Birdscape Evaluation

• PostcardsComment book
• Interviews
• Observations

18
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.

19
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

20
Technical Challenges

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

21
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