Towards an aesthetic of 'the Interactive

Abstract

The Interactive is situated in the discourse of the user/player and discussed here in terms of domains of engagement and cursality, each of which is defined by a tension between qualities within the domain and each of which is affected by a dynamic of learning and familiarity. In its inherently ergodic nature, that discourse exists as particular instances which may never be shared. In its inevitable narrativity, in its construction of meaning through fleeting fragments juxtaposed in time, and in its unique instance determined by selection and selection histories, this discourse is unlike that of other media and represents a distinct and different way of storying the world. Reference is made to several contemporary interactive artworks and the text concludes with a short but detailed critique using the ideas mapped out in the preceding text.