The BirdMan: hybrid perception

Abstract

Why should we commune with the environment surrounding us? It's because communing is the most ecological strategy for human beings, who coexist with other humans and even other creatures, whereas there is no way of knowing the experience of other creatures. ‘Qualia' are none other than relational properties in a complex system of human beings in nature. This article explores how to perceive others' perception through a BirdMan experiment. The BirdMan, a half-man and half-beast creature, born in a subconsciousness, attempts to share its mind with others. As a venue for new experiences transforming and recreating human perceiving experiences, the work becomes a meta-methodology exploring the meaning of other beings' experience. While encountering in between different perceptions with hybrid perspectives, ecological narratives and empathy can be realised. It suggests to us that the way we perceive and understand this world is not the only way.

Keywords:

• BirdMan
• embodied cognition
• hybrid perception
• qualia
• ecological commune
• empathetic mind
• narrative

Additional information

Jeong Han Kim is Fulbright visiting scholar (Fall 2014–Spring 2015) in DXARTS at University of Washington, Seattle, USA and associate professor in media art at the Department of Contemporary Art at Seoul Women's University, Korea, where, in addition to being director of the B-MADE center (Bio-Medical Art & Design Education, see http://bmade.org), he is also researcher of the BiKE lab. (Biomedical Knowledge Engineering, see http://bike.snu.ac.kr) at Seoul National University. From a background in media art, Jeong Han Kim's research areas include cognitive science, biomedical art, design and scientific education based on artistic creativity.

Hong-Gee Kim is the director of Biomedical Knowledge Engineering Laboratory (BiKE), professor, and dentistry library dean at School of Dentistry, Seoul National University. Previously, he was an associate professor of Management Information Systems at Dankook University. He is adjunct professors in Computer Science, Collaborative Medical Informatics Program, Collaborative Cognitive Science Program, Collaborative Archiving Studies Program, and Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University. At Seoul Women's University, he is a lecturer at the Department of Contemporary Art. Overseas, he is an adjunct professor in Informatics at the National University of Ireland, and visited Harvard University Medical School as a visiting professor. He earned degrees in Philosophy, Psychology, and Computer Science. He has authored more than 150 papers in journals and conference proceedings that cover diverse topics in computer science, dentistry, biology, cognitive science, law, and industrial engineering. His current research interests include Semantic Web in bio-medical informatics, Ontology Engineering, and Semantic Knowledge Space.

Hyun Jean Lee is a media artist (http://hyunjeanlee.com) and assistant professor of Media Art major at the Graduate School of Communication and Arts, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, where she is a director of Play Makers Lab (http://playmakersworkshop.com) and also a vice director of Media Art and Design Center, at the Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University. From a background in digital media and fine arts, Lee carries out research on new media theories which connect the artistic perception with diverse digital media technologies. Lee's recent research areas include video art and media art installation, interactive experience design through tangible and embedded interfaces, experimental game theory and design, pedagogical approach for digital literacy, and bio-medical art & design.