Interactive Art

Introduction Art becomes interactive when audience participation is an integral part of the artwork. Audience behaviour can cause the artwork itself to change. In making interactive art, the artist goes beyond considerations of how the work will look or sound to an observer. The way that it interacts with the audience is also a crucial part of its essence. The core of such art is in its behaviour more than in any other aspect. The creative practice of the artist is, therefore, quite different to that of a painter. A painting is static and so, in so far as a painter considers audience reaction, the perception of colour relationships, scale or figurative references is most important. In the case of interactive art, however, it is the audience’s behavioural response to the artwork's activity that matters most. Audience engagement cannot be seen just in terms of how long they look at the work. It needs to be in terms of what they do, how they develop interactions with the piece and such questions as whether they experience pain or pleasure.