Jesus is on fire

1. Do you see videos such as “Jesus is on fire” and its copies  as a good addition to creative culture?

Yes, i see the copies of "Jesus is on fire"as creative culture. The original one of the video is from a new report that interviewed a woman whom was in an fire accident, while people thought the way the woman described the fire accident is so funny and made the original video into a funny song. I regard it as creative culture because indeed the creator added some additional elements into the original materials and made it become something different from the basic one, no matter what effect is produced,maybe just some kind of jokes that make audiences laugh or it can provoke people to think, it is a new idea and should be treated as creative culture.

2. Is the wide availability of such videos a good thing for society or not?

I think the wide availability of such videos could be a good thing for society in some ways, but it could also do harm to society. This kind of videos can encourage people to think more and make their own funny clips, it can help spread the ideas and motivate people to create. On the other hand, this may also do harm to the society as it will help the spread of bullying or discrimination concepts on some people once they are on the video and being laughed by the audiences.

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3. How many viewers are estimated to have watched the Youtube video?

       For the original video , there are 32,802,282 people have watched the video: while for the "Jesus is on fire", there are about 37,242 people have seen the clip.

4. How would you rate the video?Is it of high quality in technical terms? Is it interesting aesthetically e.g camera angles, use of light, the narrative and so on?

      Well, i really do not regard the video has a high quality in technical terms, but indeed it is interesting and can make me laugh. The video is created base on the original new report that interviewed a woman whom described a fire accident. While the creator had made it into a funny song, besides, a lot of other animations are added into the video as well, it makes the video become much more funny and interesting.

5.      Do you think it deserved the attention that it received from the internet community?

      Yes, i do think it deserved the attention that it received from the internet community . First of all, it can make people to concern about what happen and would check the original video because of the curiosity ; besides, it is really a way to make people relax after watching this kind of funny video , people will laugh and watch it again and it can release their pressure as well; Finally, it also provoke people to think the connection of the animation and the songs.

Final Presentation (Touchy, Eric Siu 29/11)

                                                Touchy

A) Introduction to the work

The artwork "Touchy" is made by a Hong Kong new media artist Eric Siu ."Touchy is released on October 2012. It has been shown in many places, including Tokyo in Japan, Australia , China and Hong Kong,etc. Until now,"Touchy" has been performed 41 times in 8 cities of 5 countries. Besides, it is wonderful that there are nearly 3600 people has been interacted with "Touchy".

 

B) A detailed description of the work

'Touchy' is a human camera. It weighs 1.17 kg with a height of 163mm, width of 208mm and depth of 239mm. Most of the people can wear it comfortably. The camera can capture images in 640 x 480 and 1600 x 1200 dimensions in JPG format. The photographic device offers an LCD monitor of 3.5 inches across portraying 320 x 240 pixels. The battery can last for 2 hours. 'Touchy' functions as a camera and captures what "it" sees when the wearer get in touch with other people for at least 10 seconds.To describe it more detailed, the eye-hole shutters of touchy close and block the vision of the wearer until people grab the bulb and touch wearer’s skin.The continuous physical body touching between the wearer and other people can give the wearer back his or her own vision, besides, once the touching maintains for 10 seconds, the camera function of touchy will work and captures what the wearer sees. Finally, it will show the pictures on the back of the LCD screen.

C) An evaluation of the work

What is interesting about 'Touchy'??

To me, i think Touchy is a kind of social interaction experiment that help people to communicate and interact with each other in the real world . As Eric Siu said, Touchy is meant to "criticize" the phenomenon that arises from social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, which allow us to stay connected online while remaining physically detached in real life.
                                                        

    

   Does Anyone have this experience?

Nowadays, our lives are surrounding by diffferent type of social networking sites, Facebook, Twitter, Whatapps, Weibo etc, there is no doubt that these kind of social networks indeed make our lives become more convenient,seems that we can know more about the outside even when we are just  sitting in front of the computer at home, and they help us to keep in touch with our friends anytime. However, to think deeply, are these social networks really help us to develop our relationships between each other? Do our relationships are strengthened by how many likes we can receive from the posts on facebook?

No! They can only allow us to stay connected online but in fact we are still, or even become more apart from each other in reality. Touchy , as a social interaction experiment, concern about the problem arise from social networking and help to solve it by transforming the human being into a social device so as to encourage people to touch the others and to think the ability of body and machine. The skin contact between Touchy and people is breaking the limitation of social networking and the function of capturing the smiley faces share the happinese and the wonderful moments immediately.

In conclusion, Touchy help us to think not only the relationship between people and people, but also the relationship between human and technology.

The 2 key quotes:

“Touchy is not a criticism of the social media and other technology-enabled communication channels. Instead of negating the technological progress, Touchy is a humoristic polemic on the conscious and balanced assimilation of such progress into the contemporary lives.” - Asia Skubisz

“The ten second touch is a great idea. It’s much longer than a casual handshake or hug: an awkward social tension builds up, making the interaction meaningful and memorable.” - Andrew ‘bunnie’ Huang (entrepreneur & hacker)

References:

http://www.designboom.com/art/touchy-a-human-camera-by-eric-siu/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/13/touchy-human-camera_n_1510387.html

Comments on Inter-discommunication Machine

Questions on new media art

Questions:

1.Dada and new media art both described as reactions. What did they react to?

Dada was in part a reaction to the industrialization of warfare and the mechanical reproduction of texts and images while New Media art can be seen as a response to the information technology revolution and the digitization of cultural forms

2.What are some similarities of new media art to Dada, Pop art and Video art?

They have two similarities.

Firstly, they all "focused more on ideas than on objects". 

Secondly, they treat internet serves "as an accessible artistic tool that enabled them to explore the changing relationship between technology and culture".

3.When was net art first included in a major exhibition: Documenta X?

      From 1994 until 1997.

4.Is new media art focused in one country? Why or why not?

No, new media art is not only focused in one country."Because of its close connection to the Internet, however, New Media art was from its inception a worldwide movement", as the internet is a worldwide channel, new media art can spread to different places in the world.

5.Why were many artists drawn to new media art from other disciplines?

Many artists drawn to new media art from other disciplines as new media art contain the concept of globalization, it is not only easier to spread their artworks through the internet, but also more convenient for audiences to notice their works. The convenience of internet enlargers the types and numbers of audiences and break the limitation of districts , it helps to spread the idea of artists to the whole world.

Comment on Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki Umbrella-net

“This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on

 

 

 

1. formal instructions

 

The formal instruction of the artwork is to use the mobile ad-hoc computer networks and wireless devices. When a participant in UMBRELLA.net opens his or her umbrella, the computer will seek to establish a wireless network connection with other computer-equipped umbrellas in the area. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) illuminate the umbrella, indicating the connection's status: Red light is trying to connect while the blue light is connected.

 

2. the concept rather than the art object

 

The creator said that:''We believe these transitory networks can add surprise and beauty to our currently fixed communication channels''. The object of this artwork is umbrella and the aim is to increase the aesthetics 'value of the project. Through the connection of the umbrella to show the coincidences of the network bewteen the strangers or even friends in the city.

 

3. the event and audience participation and an interest in random events and/or chance

 

This event is operated by various participants during art festivals and similar events.It is an interest in random events as the chance of connecting the umbrella is not controled by human force ,it is a coincidence event.

4. borrowing or appropriation

THey borrowed the idea from Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Umbrella Project (1984-1991)

 

Comment on the screening of Gamer Revolution (CBC documentary, 2007)

question 1:

According to the film, what are some pros and cons of playing videogames for individuals and societies?

The advantages of playing videogames are letting people to have another way to learn new things.Playing videogame is such a creative learning way, it makes learning to be much more interesting than before. For example, children can learn through playing videogames, there are some videogames that teach students to learn english. Furthermore, playing videogames can not only letting people to have a chance to relax from work,but also providing a stage for teenagers to communicate with each other, a way to make new friends. While at the same time, people are addicted to the videogames and escape from the reality. Some teenagers are living in the virtual world all day long and doing nothing except for playing videogames. Violence are also promoted in such shooting videogames and teenagers are easily becoming violent after playing videogames.

question 2:

According to the film, is there any evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions in the real world? Do you agree?

There are videogames that teach people how to use guns and other weapons such as knife to kill the enemies in games.For example, the videogames such as GTA and CS promote the value of killing.Besides, there was once proved that a teenager killed his classmates at school after playing the violent videogames as he learnt how to use the guns through the videogames. I agree that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti social actions in the real world, those who play the videogames are mostly teenagers, which mean their mental are not well developed and may not have the ability to distinguish what is right and wrong. Videogames provide a place for them to release their pressure but at the same time, it may encourage them to do whatever them want as they may think they are invincible no matter in the virtual world or reality.

question 3:

 Should the governments have the right to ban a certain game or place age restrictions on it? Why?

I think the governments should have the right to ban a certain game or place age restrictions on it.Firstly, teenagers should not be encouraged to violent digital games before their mental state are developed.It should be confirmed that they know everthing in the digital world are not real. Furthermore, some extremetly violent and videogames that encourage killing should be restricted in order to protect teenagers.

Comment on Cory Arcangel - Super Mario Clouds - 2002

The features of Cory Arcangel - Super Mario Clouds - 2002:

 

 It is a copy of the original game - Mario Brothers cartridge while the inventor earse everything except the clouds . Through the video, it is obvious that the main character - Mario Brothers are missing in the clip, except for the clouds. The inventor does some experiment on the cartridge (the process is as below) and finally create the video.

Whether i consider it to be art or not?

I do not consider this gmae as art.

First of all , although the creator of this video earse the everything except the clouds and it sounds very funny, the video indeed lost the meaningful message. As a viewer, we may ask ,"What is the purpose of this video? it seems do not contain any message in the video."Compared to the oringinal video game, at least it has an interaction between the player and the game, or even the creator, through playing the game, players may express their feelings and enjoy the moment. While the Super Mario Clouds is just a video ,player cannot even play the game but just watch the clouds moving. It losts the meaning of interaction.

Opinions about whether "Digital games can be defined as Art"

In our opinions...

Key features:

Question One:
1. Inspire people to think
2. Visual enjoyment
3. Beauty (harmonious arrangement of  formal element: color, forms, style)
4. Meaning or artist's expression
5. Creativity
6.Education value

Question Two:
1. Arts last: People preserve arts as they are aesthetically interesting.
2. Arts conveys message.
3. Art has content.
4. Art has an Aesthetic.
5.Arts contains ideas.
6. Art Makes you feel somethings.
7. Art is not formulaic.

Our own opinion and Question:

For example, the famous artwork Fountain by Duchamp which is ugly and vulgar. However, it challenged the traditional value of art. It raised a question that whether everything can be art. Then, it becomes an ironic example to criticize the conservative value of arts in 19 century. Can the Fountain be an artwork even if it lack of attractive appearance but contains a message? On the other hand, the luxurious golden toilet cannot be classified as an artwork. In spite of attractive visual effect, it does not have any useful message. So, if the artwork conveys significant or important messages but against the common standard of arts, can that artwork still be claimed as Arts? Or Arts have to include a message and attractive visual effect at the same time? 

Sooben, Echo, Helen, Kayo, Rona , Jane talk about Eric Siu's "Touchy"

 

 
Eric Siu