Film 202 - Field Report 2

The two works I would like to discuss are the "Infinity Chamber" and the piece consisting of an interactive light boundaries projected onto the floor (I do not recall the name of this work). The "Infinity Chamber" is a work that, unlike most of the other interactive pieces that encourage social interaction, can be experienced independently or accompanied by two other people. I found the most effective approach to the chamber when I examined its inner walls very closely - almost touching the glass with my nose. As I stared into the infinite bits of light I felt completely immersed in cube’s vastness which may be considered illusion or enlightenment depending on the participant. As I scanned my eyes up and down the endless chasms of light the work seemed to attempt sparking my senses with disorientation between abstraction and material persuading critical thought as to how closely they may be related. For those willing to lend themselves to the piece it may test their imagination as it simultaneously isolates the participant while opening the eye to a perception, or misperception, of endless space. The "Infinity Chamber" really gives you the vision to gaze into the potential of your ordinary surroundings in three dimensions. It is like you are peering into a dream. Dreams give us the illusion we are going places while isolated within our minds. The "Infinity Chamber" strives for the same kind of vision encouraging thought outside the box.

The interactive piece involving the formation and deformation of beams of light between active subjects within a large square on the floor (I do not recall the name) may have been my favorite. To me its simplicity and consistency drew me to it and the definite socialization it provokes since its function is based on a given number of people within the space. Again, this piece encourages a new perspective not only of how we view the space surrounding us but also interact with it. I found myself doing things I wouldn't normally do like taking off my jacket and laying it down to create a non-living participant that became boxed in by the light beams. In this environment your creativity is provoked through interactive boundaries.

It seems these are the works of art for the new generation. Works on canvas may be just as interactive depending on how you perceive it visually as an art but these new electronic pieces try associating themselves with an era accustomed to innovatively creative mediums like the Internet and computer games. Though the "Infinity Chamber" is an older work than the other it still has an immersive quality that attracts generations young and old through its uniqueness apart from complex electronics. The other work possesses a similar quality but has been created by a later generation running on an interactive computer program.