locative literature

By Hannah Ackermans, 27 November, 2015
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Abstract (in English)

The paper describes and reflects upon a research and development project specifically related to a sound installation – Listener (Hoem 2014) – where the purpose has been to examine artistic possibilities when staging an auditive user experience, via micro positioned mobile devices. Listener is augmenting an existing environment, adding a fictional layer, using sound as the only expression. The auditive text is experienced through headphones, connected to a location aware mobile unit, which is positioned by “beacons” (Bluetooth LE transmitters).

Listener tries to relocate an environment, from Bergen railway station to the Bergen University College’s premises, using sound. To this environment we have added six fictional characters, and the user can listen to these characters’ cell phone calls. The text has to be experienced by moving around, as the sounds corresponds to the user’s position and orientation.

What distinguishes Listener from many other installations that are often based on localisation by GPS is the concept of micro positioning. The paper will discuss and exemplify this concept in general, and look more specifically into how this can be implemented to tell micro positioned stories.

Micro positioned texts are discussed in light of the experience of place (locus) and the perception of space (platea). When following the development of theatrical performances back to when travelling companies were performing in the streets, the theatre companies had to be able to adapt their performances to different places. This was achieved by a close understanding of the two ways of using space as an integrated part of the performance: The platea, an open space used to perform the play, contrasted by the locus, a defined space that can be given representational meaning. Locus always represents a specific location, and the platea is essentially fluid and non-representational (Dillon, 2006:4).

Where a space is given by the physical environment, place can be seen as constructed through a meeting between mediated artifacts, actors and interaction between those. Thus the linking between place and space becomes determined by social relationships, emotions and sensations. There will always be several, often competing notions of place, which leads to a potential for staging different narratives within the same physical environment.

The paper will discuss and try to exemplify and finally conclude upon questions about how the relationships between locus and platea are influenced by mediation artefacts that represents parts of the environment by virtual and/or augmented artifacts, and how this relates to concepts of electronic literature.

(Source: ELO 2015 Conference Catalog)

By Patricia Tomaszek, 28 August, 2012
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24
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All Rights reserved
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Abstract (in English)

What follows is an explanation of the logic underlying this idea of curating the "Electronic Literature" exhibit and a rearticulation of our curatorial statements, viewed now in retrospect. Dene Grigar begins by introducing our underlying views and includes her revised statement for "Works on Desktop." Lori Emerson follows with her statement on "Readings and Performances;" Kathi Inman Berens ends the essay with her statement on "Mobile and Geolocative" works.

Source: from the article (3)

By Patricia Tomaszek, 21 January, 2012
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CC Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives
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Abstract (in English)

A review of Beyond the Screen: Transformations of Literary Structures, Interfaces and Genres, edited by Peter Gendolla and Jörgen Schäfer.

Pull Quotes

Unlike many studies from the "first-wave" of digital criticism of the mid- to late-nineties, which tended to focus on the capabilities of the stand-alone computer (see, for example, Michael Heim's "Erotic Ontology of Cyberspace," Lev Manovich's Language of New Media, Janet H. Murray's Hamlet on the Holodeck, Turkle's Life on the Screen), this work takes into special consideration digital art that exists within and as a part of complexly configured spaces of performance and expression and thus makes a welcome addition to the exciting work being done by scholars such Rita Raley ("Writing 3.D") and Mark B.N. Hansen (New Philosophy for New Media); scholar-practitioners, such as Noah Wardrip-Fruin (Expressive Processing), and Mark Marino ("L.A. Flood," Critical Code Studies), among the many other artists and apostles of three-dimensional space.