Understanding "Open Work" in lnteractive Art So-young Park B.F.A., Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, 1999 B.A., Kookmin University, 1993 PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF APPLIED SCIENCE In the School of lnteractive Arts and Technology O So-young Park 2006 Simon Fraser University Spring 2006 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: So-young Park Degree: Master of Applied Science Title of Research Project: Understanding "Open Work" in lnteractive Art Examining Committee: Chair: Rob Woodbury Graduate Program Chair of School of Interactive Arts and Technology Ron Wakkary Senior Supervisor Associate Professor of School of Interactive Arts and Technology Andrew Feenberg Supervisor Canada Research Chair in Philosophy of Technology School of Communication Lucy Pullen External Examiner Assistant Professor of Department of Art, University of Victoria Date Defended/Approved: April 7, 2006 SIMON FRASER ' UIUIVERSITY~I bra ry DECLARATION OF PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection, and, without changing the content, to translate the thesislproject or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material and in the signed Partial Copyright Licence. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, BC, Canada ABSTRACT This paper concerns Umberto Eco's "open work" as a methodology for Interactive Art. I examine open work in its original social and cultural contexts, and probe its potential as a methodology. Eco's "open work" is concerned with the process of making of art rather than with any fin- ished artwork. He posits two components of open work: a multiplicity of meanings, and audience participation. In open work, artists create artwork in a way that allows ihe audi- ence to construct multiple meanings. This is a contingent process, and the degree of open- ness is the measure of its contingency. lnteractive Art's digital technology makes open work a promising methodology, but this requires two lavers of openness: contemplative (Ec:os's concept) and structural (a specific quality of lnteractive Art). And finally, open work can use computing as a creative process and can enhance the artistic goals of community and play. Keywords: Open work, Umberto Eco, Audience participation, lnteractive art, Digital media DEDICATION To my mother ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Ron Wakkary for his patient and enduring support in the develop- ment of this thesis; Andrew Feenberg for his endless care of my intellectual growth and for showing me different ways of looking at the world. I want to acknowledge Daniel Conrad's unflagging help as a proofreader and his nurturing of my artistic vision. TABLE OF CONTENTS: .. Approval .............................................................................................................................II ... Abstract ............................................................................................................................. II I Dedication......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. v Table of Contents............................................................................................................... vi . List of Figures .................................................................................................................... VII Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1 . What is Open Work .......................................................................................... 3 A . Umberto Eco's Definition of Open Work ..................................................................................... 3 B. Multiplicity of' Meaning................................................................................................................ 4 C. Multiplicity Meanings and Information ........................................................................................9 D . Audience Participation in the Production of Making Art .............................................................11 Chapter 2 . Italo Calvino and "the Degree of Openness" ................................................... 13 A . Five values: Lightness, Quickness, Exactitude, Visibility, and Multiplicity................................... 13 a. Lightness .................................................................................................................13 b . Quickness .............................................................................................................. 14 c . Exactitude................................................................................................................ 15 d . Visibility................................................................................................................... 15 ... e. Mult~pl~clty............................................................................................................. 16 B . The Degree of Openness............................................................................................................ 17 Chapter 3 . Open Work in the Recent Art History.............................................................. 20 A . Art historical Backgrounds of Open Work. and Interactive Art ...................................................20 B. The shift of Relationship between Artist and Audience ................................................................ 26 C . New Functions of Art: Converging Art and Reality...................................................................... 29 Chapter 4 . Rethinking Open Work in Interactive Art ......................................................... 34 A . Temporality................................................................................................................................. 37 . B. Changeablllty.............................................................................................................................. 39 C. Non-linearity.............................................................................................................................. 42 D. Audience Participation............................................................................................................... 43 . E . Remed~atlon............................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 5 . New Definition of Open Work in Interactive Art ............................................ 47 A . Removing the Author and Community of Play............................................................................ 48 B. The Precision of Degree of Openness: Anticipating Accidents ...................................................51 Chapter 6 . Discussion....................................................................................................... 55 Chapter 7 . Final notes ....................................................................................................... 58 Notes ................................................................................................................................61 Reference List ................................................................................................................... 66 LIST OF FIGURES: Figure 1 : Abbas Kiarostami' film for Lumikre and (. ompany............................................... 7 Figure 2: 3 Standard Stoppages note................................................................................. 21 Figure 3: 3 Standard Stoppages ......................................................................................... 23 Figure 4: Brain Cell ........................................................................................................... 25 Figure 5: Aaron's Drawing, ..............................................................................................