Name: Vuokko Harma

Affiliation: University of Sussex

Address: Department of Sociology, Friston uilding, rig!ton, U", N# $SN
%mail: v!&'(sussex)ac)uk
*o+ile: ,,-- .,/ '0#& 1$-$$
Interaction and Performativity in Digital Art Exhibitions
Abstract
2!e interactive element of a museum or gallery visit !as t!e potential to create a truly deep and
enduring experience) 2!e visitor is no longer seen as passive stroller +ut actively engaging
participant 3!ose interaction contri+utes to t!e art3ork itself) 2ec!nologically mediated art3orks
are increasingly popular in contemporary art ex!i+itions) Despite +eing positive visiting experience
interactivity can also cause feelings of self4consciousness or s!yness t!at potentially distracts t!e
visitor from t!e art3ork) Digital tec!nology is used in ex!i+itions to offers complex and often
passively captured forms of interaction, e)g) t!roug! sensors t!at monitor movements or ot!er
em+odied activities) 2!is raises concerns a+out perceived privacy and accessi+ility to art as 3ell as
visitors perception of art) Sociological perspective offers a ne3 3ay of seeing t!e interactive art
ex!i+itions from t!e visitors5 perspective) Dra3ing on researc! carried out in t!e U", t!is paper
aims to contri+ute to t!e resolution of t!e follo3ing tension: on t!e one !and a positive visiting
experience t!roug! interaction, and on t!e ot!er feelings self4conscious and s!yness induced +y
performative dilemma)
Key Words: 6nteraction, 7ervasive 2ec!nology, 8ultural 6nstitutions, Sym+olic 6nteractionism
Sociologists interests to3ards art !as focused on t!e socially organised settings in 3!ic! art is
produced .ecker #$09/ and ex!i+ited .*acDonald 9,,9/ as 3ell as experienced +y t!e visitors
.Heat! : vom ;e!n 9,,-:-&/) 8ontemporary museums and galleries !ave +ecome increasingly
concerned 3it! promoting pu+lic engagement t!roug! t!e consumption of interactive installations,
as opposed to t!e traditional !ousing of static curiosities and aut!entic pieces) Artists and designers
are utili<ing digital tec!nology to create t!e interactive element in t!eir art3ork in order to create
meaningful experiences to t!e visitors) 6nteractive art is discussed in t!e literature as =computer art=,
#
=ne3 media art=, =digital art= and so on, and in ot!er contexts interactive art is understood as non4
tec!nological !ands4on art3ork) 6n t!is paper t!e term =interactive art= is used to descri+e computer4
+ased art3orks unless ot!er3ise mentioned) Visitor4centered design !as +een seen as one of t!e
3ays to attract visitors to museums .*c;ean #$$&/) *useum staff, ex!i+ition designers and
curators are under pressure to create attractive ex!i+itions t!at encourage visitor participation and
evoke emotional and +e!avioral responses) 2!us t!e manufacturing of experiences !as +ecome a
key issue in t!e design process, 3it! digital tec!nologies playing an increasing role in rendering
art3orks accessi+le to all) Ho3ever, interactive art re>uires a level of exploratory participatory
visitor engagement 3it! ne3 tec!nologies t!at can leave individuals feeling s!y and !indered from
taking part)
*useums and galleries !ave traditionally +een seen as locations of =!ig!= culture .?illiams #$10/,
3!ose visual and textual contents and spatial arrangements signify sop!istication) ourdieu and
Dar+el=s classic study of %uropean museums .#$@$/ notes t!at t!e certain visitor groups may feel
t!at t!ey lack t!e cultural capital .kno3ledge, skills and experience/ needed to perceive and
experience arts in =correct 3ays=) ourdieu suggests t!at t!e Acorrect5 perception of art3orks is a
matter of cultural competence, ac>uired t!roug! sociali<ation and education) 8ontemporary
museums are adopting ideas from t!e visitor4centered design .Falk:Dierking #$$9/, participatory
museums .Simon 9,#,/ and inclusive museums) 2!ese ideas are examples of cultural institutions=
aims to increase accessi+ility to sectors of t!e pu+lic 3!o mig!t ot!er3ise +e excluded) Bevisiting
ourdieu and Dar+el in t!e context of interactive art, it can +e said t!at t!e ex!i+ition visit still
re>uires cultural competence to interact 3it! tec!nologically mediated art3ork) 2!e visitor4focused
approac!es are resulting t!at t!e visitors are re>uired to adopt t!e interc!angea+le roles as
experience creator as 3ell as t!e experiencer) 2!e visit to t!e interactive ex!i+ition is created for t!e
user 3!o utili<es t!e tec!nology +ut also for t!e visitor 3!ose interests are aimed to +e
accommodated) Ho3ever, museums5 and galleries as pu+lic spaces are still strictly coded 3it!
social rules and norms 3!ic! t!e visitors5 self4presentation is tied) Sociological analysis aims to
understand !o3 t!e transformations of cultural institutions are affectively c!anging t!e role of t!e
visiting pu+lic) 2o participate successfully t!e visitor s!ould +e e>uipped 3it! relevant cultural and
social capital in order to feel competent to interact .ourdieu : Dar+el #$@$/) 2!e expectation of
competence and 3illingness to engage in tec!nological as 3ell as artistic interactive environment
can create a performative dilemma amongst t!e visitors)
2!e c!anged element of engagement is particularly evident in interactive ex!i+itions and t!e visitor
is expected to partake 3it! t!e art3ork) 2!e visitor5s response to t!e ex!i+its forms a part of its
9
communicative po3er and creates t!e meaningful experiences for t!e visitor) 2!e art3orks and
installations on display in ex!i+ition areas are seen as incomplete 3it!out t!e agency of t!e visitor,
3!ose active engagement +rings t!e art3ork =alive=) 2!e interactivity pressures t!e visitors to t!e
ne3 performative actions as t!ey engage 3it! suc! ex!i+its) 6ronically, interactive art3ork
o+Cectifies t!e visitor +y forcing t!em to +ecome part of t!e art3ork, a spectacle to look at and a
possession of t!e artist) 2!e visitors5 interaction +ecomes a performance t!at is o+served +y ot!er
passing visitors and staff 3!ic! may leave t!em feeling !indered or evaluated) 2!is could +ring in
t!e concerns a+out misunderstanding t!e intended meanings of t!e art3ork and feelings of lacking
t!e cultural competence) Digital tec!nology transforms t!e norms as t!e visitor is present in t!e
ex!i+ition area t!roug! sensors and !is or !er performance could +e tracked or even displayed 3it!
art3orks) 2!e positive museum experience arises from successful interaction 3it! art3ork and
fello3 visitors i)e) feelings of competence) Dra3ing from social t!eory of sym+olic interactionism
it can +e said t!at t!e situationally emerging emotions are interconnected 3it! increased
performativityD instead of experiencing or perceiving arts t!e visitors are o+serving t!eir o3n and
t!e fello3 visitors5 performances) 2!e performative turn in museum visit 3ill c!ange t!e 3ay of
!o3 t!e visitors perceive and experiencing arts)
2!e t!eory of Sym+olic 6nteractionism !ave +een central to t!is 3ork conceptuali<ing t!e social
interaction in tec!nologically e>uipped art environment as a social encounter 3!ose meaning is
negotiated +et3een t!e actors .Den<in #$',, Silverman #$0'/) 6n particular %r3in Eoffman=s
.#$1$/ idea of presentation of self !as +een used to analy<e t!e visitors5 emotional responses to t!e
pu+lic engagement 3it! interactive art) Follo3ing S6 analysis in social emotions it can +e seen t!at
t!ey are emergent products of interaction and relative to t!e social context rat!er t!an a
psyc!ological trait or individual pat!ology .Scott 9,,@/) S!yness and em+arrassment can +e defined
as a situational state of dramaturgical stress .Freund #$$0D cf) Eoffman #$1$/, 3!ic! arises from an
actor5s perceived relative incompetence at managing a social encounter and t!eir anticipation of
em+arrassment resulting from t!e communication of an un3anted impression of oneself to ot!ers
.Scott 9,,'aD cf) Sc!lenker : ;eary #$09/) 2!is notion leads to t!e Eoffman=s .i+id/ presentation
of self in everyday life, 3!ere !e sees interactions as forms of performances 3it! audience, +ack4
stage and front stage regions) Follo3ing Eoffman=s . see also Scott 9,,-/ approac! t!e feeling or
fear of +reaking t!e rule or norm and appear to ot!ers as incompetent visitor, is actually a reflection
to t!e competent other; t!e actual or anticipated audience) 2!e ex!i+ition design is lacking to
ackno3ledge t!e affects of presence of ot!er people in ex!i+ition area) 6n traditional museum or
gallery settings t!e visitors5 level or performativity is relatively lo3 as !e or s!e could Cust stroll
around passively) 2!e interactive ex!i+ition t!e increased performativity can +e seen as a trigger for
&
t!e feelings of relative incompetence)
2!e data for t!is researc! 3as collected in colla+oration 3it! Dr) Susie Scott and Dr) 2amsin
Hinton4Smit!, sociologists from t!e University of Sussex, as part of t!e ?6N%S&4proCect called
=Supporting S!y Users in 7ervasive 8omputing=) ?e examined t3o contrasting case studiesD
Fa+rica, a small local contemporary art gallery in rig!ton t!at !osted 2ina Eonsalves5 8!ameleon,
a multimedia art3ork ex!i+ition 3!ic! utili<es facial recognition tec!nology to provide emotional
feed+ack to interactants i)e) visitorsD and t!e V:A .Victoria and Al+ert *useum/, a large traditional
museum in ;ondon t!at !osted an ex!i+ition called De8ode, 3!ic! included a range of digital
art3orks +y different artists t!at incorporate varying types of interactions from visitorsD t!eir +ody
movements are reflected on a screen 3it! multi+le colours, voice recognition creates illustrated
s!apes and figures on anot!er screen) ot! of t!e case studies 3ere conducted over t!e duration of
t!e ex!i+itions .94& mont!s/ and involved t!e triangulation of a range of data collection met!ods,
including >ualitative o+servational field notes, visitor tracking maps, self4completion visitor
>uestionnaires, emotion maps, and visitor intervie3s conducted face4to4face, +y email and +y
telep!one) ?e also conducted A3alkaround intervie3s5, a mo+ile met!odology .Boss et al 9,,$/
t!at involved t!e researc!er accompanying a participant as t!ey moved around t!e gallery and
recording Alive5 t!eir responses to ex!i+its)
2!e researc! dra3n upon t!is paper reveals t!at t!e common response to t!e pu+lic engagement
3it! digital interactive tec!nology in ex!i+ition area is aloof and reserved) 2!e visitors avoided or
approac!ed interactive ex!i+its 3it! caution, and many reported feelings of uncertainty and fear of
unexpected event, and t!erefore preferred to look aside 3!ile Aot!ers5 3ere interacting) 2!is !ad
+ot! practical and emotional implications, as it prevented t!e visitors from interacting fully 3it! t!e
art3orks +y creating additional demands upon t!eir o3n performance) 2!e visitors also 3anted to
kno3 in advanced 3!at 3as going to !appen in t!e interaction, and t!ey re>uested more
information from t!e staff mem+ers or reading carefully t!e information provided) Some of t!e
visitors stated t!at t!ey 3anted to look at ot!er people interacting +efore t!ey Agive it a go5, to avoid
em+arrassment of doing it A3rong5) 2!is scenario signifies people feeling incompetence in
comparison to ot!er visitors) As Scott .9,,'/ states incompetent ot!er refers to t!e audience around
t!e social situation, and s!yness is triggered +y t!e frustrated socia+ility, t!e 3illingness and desire
to participate +ut lacking t!e competence to do so) 2!ese examples also dra3s +ack to ourdieu and
Dar+el and t!ese notions are signifying t!at in pu+lic perception t!ere is still an idea of Acorrect
3ay5 to participate and interact 3it! art3ork) 2!e tec!nological incompetence 3as also reported as
-
+eing one of t!e factors t!at made t!e visitors feeling !indered to take part) Several respondents
reported feelings of em+arrassment, fear, s!yness and anxiety 3!ic! can +e la+eled as social
emotions .see more: Hoc!sc!ild #$0&, endelo3 : ?illiams #$$0,/ or =self4conscious emotions=
.2angney : Fisc!er #$$1/ t!at occur 3!en people reflect upon t!eir o3n +e!avior or status in
social interaction)
2!is paper !ave indended to !ig!lig!t t!e importance of recognising t!e effects of social intearction
and performativity in ex!i+ition design process) 2!e interaction 3it! individual and t!e art3ork is a
complex process 3it! multi+le varia+les 3!at can potentially distract t!e visitors5 artistic
experience) 2o summarise, active engagement in interactive ex!i+ition re>uires !ig! levels of
performativity from t!e visitors and t!is can trigger or evoke social emotions 3!ic! are connected
to individual competence gained +y !is or !er social capital and t!e interaction 3it! surrounding
audience) %x!i+ition design 3it! interactive art3orks re>uires profound understanding of t!e social
setting, roles and interaction in pu+lic space) 6n accepting t!at t!e visitors experience is affected +y
fello3 visitors as 3ell as t!e tec!nological devices allo3s t!e design process to manufacture
experiences t!at are less of an s!yness or em+arrassment striken and more of enduring and exciting)
References
Bagnall, Gaynor 9,,') 7erformance and performativity at Heritage Sites) 6n Smit!, ; .ed)/
Cultural Heritage: Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies, .pp&@1F0@/) ;ondon:
Boutledge)
Bannon, iam, !teve Benford, Bo"ers, #ohn, $hristian %eath .9,,1/ Hy+rid Design 8reates
6nnovative *useum %xperience in Communications of ACM vol)-.&/
Bec&er, %o"ard' .#$0&/ Art Worlds. University of 8alifornia 7ress: erkeley)
Ben(amin, Walter #$0&) Charles Baudelaire: A lyric Poet in the ra of High Capitalism, trans)+y
H Go!n, ;ondon: Ne3 ;eft ooks .Verso/
Bo)rdie), Pierre' * Darbel, A' .#$$#/ !he "ove of Art #uropean Art Museums and their Pu$lic%
8am+ridge: 7olity 7ress
Bo)rdie), Pierre .#$0-/ &istiction% ;ondon, *el+ourne and Henley: Boutledge and "egan
Den+in, ,'K' .#$',/ !he 'esearch Act in Sociology) 8!icago: Aldine)
-al&, #ohn * ynn, Dier&ing #$$') !he Museum (perience) ?as!ington: ?!ales+ack ooks
Goffman, Er"in #$1$) 2he Presentation of Self in veryday "ife) Harmonds3ort!, 7enguin
1
%arr., Rom #$$,) =%m+arrassment: a conceptual analysis= in ?)B)8ro<ier .ed/ Shyness and
m$arrassment: Perspectives from Social Psychology) 8am+ridgeD 8am+ridge University 7ress
%eath, $hristo/her * Dir& vom ehn 9,,0) 8onstruing interactivity: en!ancing engagement and
ne3 tec!nologies in science centres and museums) Social Studies of Science &0H#: @&4$#)
%ein, %ilde 9,,,) !he Museum in !ransition # A Philosophical Perspective. ?as!ington:
Smit!sonian ooks
0cean, Kathleen #$$&) Planning in People in Museum (hi$itions, AS28

!cott, !)sie 9,,-) =2!e s!ell, t!e stranger and t!e 8ompetent It!er: 2o3ards sociology of s!yness=
Sociology, &0H#: #9#4#&'
!cott, !)sie 9,,1) =2!e red s!aking foolD dramaturgical dilemmas in s!yness= Sym$olic )nteraction,
90H#:$#4##,
!cott, !)sie 9,,') Shyness and Society: !he illusion of Competence) asingstoke: 7algrave
!imon, ,ina 9,#,) !he Participatory Museum. *useum 9),
.!ttp:HH333)participatorymuseum)orgH/
1angley, #)ne P' * K)rt W' -ischer .eds)/ #$$1) Self#Conscious motions) Ne3 JorkD Euilford
7ress
1hayer, !cott * Peter !teen&iste .9,,&/ An Arc!itecture for t!e 6ntergration of 7sysical and
6nformational Spaces in Personal and *$i+uitous Computing% ' .9/: 094$,
Williams, R) .#$10/ Culture and Society. ;ondon: 8!atto : ?indus)
@