triggers to entice an audience to ‘perform as interface’ in an interactive installation

Triggers to Entice an Audience to ‘Perform as Interface’ in an Interactive Installation

Monday 14 November 16 1

Lisa U. Simon1, Marloeke van der Vlugt2, Licia Calvi1

1NHTV University of Applied Sciences, Breda (NL) 2Research Center Performative Processes HKU University of the Arts, Utrecht (NL) http://www.marloekevandervlugt.com/

Marloeke van der Vlugt Lisa Simon

Table of Contents

What I will do is to:

–  introduce the JUMP_CHAIR_CHUTE installation

–  discuss what it means for an audience to “performance as interface”

–  talk about the factors that trigger this aesthetic experience


Perform as Interface


Marloeke van der Vlugt: CHAIR_JUMP_CHUTE (2016)

©Photographer Hanne Nijhuis

The Performance

In this artistic installation:

–  each wearable (in combination with

the interactive stage) is associated to

a variety of music clips

–  each wearable and soundclip trigger

different movements

–  each wearable moves the parachutes


Marloeke van der Vlugt: CHAIR_JUMP_CHUTE (2016)

©Photographer Hanne Nijhuis

The Rationale

Why?

–  to discuss the influence of new technologies on our experience of the

world, the body of the audience has become the relevant space for

actual theatrical and performative experiences


Performing as Interface

The experience for the players:

–  is not only an oscillating movement between immersion and detachment

–  this oscillation is rather experienced as a continuously shifting power relation

between participant, viewer and installation, as an exploration, as the

awakening in the audience of a desire to be engaged in the interaction, in

stimulating reflection on oneself in relation to the technology/installation/world

This is what it means to “perform as interface”


The Experimental Design

A mixed method research:

–  Observations in the semi-public setting of a cultural institute over a 5-day

festival

•  41 people were observed

–  Questionnaire divided into 3 parts to cover the before, during and after

experience

•  an adaptation of the PLEX cards


What we did

The Results

From the content analysis, these themes emerged:

–  Embarrassment in Public

–  Internal versus External Motivation

–  Curiosity

–  Aesthetic Experience


Four themes

Embarrassment in Public

Dual feelings:

–  no explicit mention of feeling embarrassed while performing in public

–  some hesitation by the people in the restaurant below the banister

•  caused by the difficulty to distinguish between the aesthetic and

instrumental experience


Internal v/s External Motivation

Equally important:

–  external motivation: vicarious observations and triggers or invitation by

others

•  also in the choice of the wearable

–  internal motivation: interaction possibilities and curiosity


Curiosity

Curiosity was triggered by:

–  Exploration

–  Humor

–  Discovery


Aesthetic Experience

Influenced by:

–  visual appearance of the installation

•  parachutes movements

•  sound

–  results in a pleasing experience that offers more performing opportunities


Discussion


We found that:

–  all motivation factors (internal and external) must be present

–  curiosity is present before during and after the interaction

–  curiosity is amplified in open-ended play, which unfolds through the

performance

–  social embarrassment was not a major barrier to perform

–  inherent difficulty to perform due to the purely physical experience

Conclusion


General findings

We noted that:

–  some perceived thresholds - like other people watching, physical

challenges or “apparative resistance” (Kwastek, 2009) - give meaning

and depth to the interactive experience

–  motivation and curiosity allow participants to become fully, mentally and

physically, engaged with the installation.

Thank you!


Licia Calvi [email protected]

triggers to entice an audience to ‘perform as interface’ in an interactive installation

Technology