The Art of Narrative
With the theme 'The Art of the Narrative' Impakt Online wants to explore
the different possibilities regarding narrative, storytelling, use of
language and the changes that may occur in meaning. Looking at 'the art
of narrative' is not a new phenomenon. Already since Aristotle proclaimed
the division between the narrated story and the dramatic
story people have been playing with narrative. Most writers wrote their
stories according to the universal rules that had been laid out, but some
were more interested in finding new ways of telling their tale. With the
introduction of the computer the latter became more widespread. The computer
promised to reshape the spectrum of narrative expression. Although the
multiform narrative was not a new incidence, the computer
made it possible to combine text, image and sound in one screen, thereby
creating multiple stories at the same time. The open structure of the
internet encouraged also the active involvement of the reader. At first
the storyteller invited the reader to make certain choices, but soon the
reader was also asked to contribute in the story. This will enrich the
story and can change the conception of narrative.
With 'The Art of the Narrative' Impakt Online choose to show two different
approaches regarding narrative: 'Village Voice'
by Ramesh Srinivasan resembles the traditional oral storytelling, whereas
Tamar Schori's 'Beadgee' took inspiration from
a series of nursery rhymes.
'The Art of the Narrative' was conceived by Annet
Dekker for Impakt Online.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Village Voice by
Ramesh Srinivasan
Ramesh Srinivasan has worked for a long time in a community of
Somali refugees in Boston. When listening to their stories Srinivasan
wanted to use the Internet as a form to engender the creation of new types
of mythology. As history has shown the empowering of a community to create
their own stories stimulates a process of reflection, which in turn facilitates
the sharing of values, knowledge, structure and dreams. Instead of putting
the stories in an ordinary database on the Internet Srinivasan made an
decentralised interactive narrative form. The interface works as a montage-based
system that can look at the multiple paths through the community's stories.
This allows for the story to unfold based upon what the viewer is watching.
The interface is not just another tool, it clearly reflects the growing
and dynamics of storytelling as they occur in oral traditions. The videostories
can be accessed by various themes. When opening the different frames the
user chooses a personal casting in a timeless virtual story. This way
'Village Voice' reveals the complexity of the artefacts of a community,
as it adapts to a user's browsing history and the intricate relationships
within the different materials. As the name 'Village Voice' of the project
indicates Srinivasan is trying to look at the role of media art in preserving
traditions, archiving stories, and allowing this displaced cultural set
of refugees to express ties. Far from being an ethnographical survey,
'Village Voice' allows these Somalis to speak
for themselves, in their own language, about their transition into a new
society.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beadgee by Tamar Schori
The book 'Three Young Rats and other rhymes' edited by James Johnson
Sweeny (Museum of Modern Art, New York) served as the starting point for
Tamar Schori's 'Beadgee'. As a teenager she read this book and was fascinated
by the rhymes. When she juxtaposed the rhymes with her drawings she made
privately since she was an art student, accidental layers of meanings
were created.
The drawings are imaginary gizmos consisting of entangled parts that can
be reassembled. Some of the parts (beads) are rigid and some seems to
be alive. 'Beadgee' holds an abundant of different drawings; each drawing
corresponds to one rhyme. The user is invited to choose from the gizmos,
explode them and pick desired beads to comprise a new gizmo. Each individual
bead within a gizmo is associated with a word from the enclosed rhyme.
As long as the user is in the 'explode mode' the words from the rhyme
are being played. When one selects a part of the exploded drawing, a word
from the rhyme is selected and attached to this part. The order ofthe
selected beads dictates the order of the words in the new rhyme. The newly
made gizmo can be submitted into the gallery, where any user can follow
the narrative that is built by the participants. 'Beadgee' tailors a new
story and a new visual landscape that will manage to use
given elements to enfold into a new story. The new images make new combinations
and reveal each time more information which can differ every time as new
juxtapositions are put forward. The projects relates to narrative art
through a process of dissociation and reassembly. It becomes a vehicle
to translate the spirit of absurdity and fantasy into
a different form of reading.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
about the artists:
Ramesh Srinivasan is a first year doctoral
student at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. He has
created several new media installations and is most interested in studying
and finding new directions for visual media as an expressive form. His
particular interest goes out in using visual media and ideas of narrative
to enable communities. http://web.media.mit.edu/~ramesh/resumerameshgsd.htm
Tamar Schori is a new media artist with a BFA
from the Bezalel Acadmy of Art in Jerusalem. She has been showing computer
oriented and interactive installations in various museums in Europe and
Israel.
http://www.tamar-schori.net
|