by Ståle Stenslie
stahl@khm.de

At present we are in a situation where the traditional aesthetical concepts and models of explanation no longer describes the technological reality that we live within. Through communication-networks (Internet) and within computer enabled environments we are introduced to new tools that to a large extent influence our understanding and perception. The digital technology establishes new arenas and interactive spaces for alternative and different realities. The topic of this thesis concerns the emergent forms of interactive experience that has been developed over the last years at the bleeding edge of technology. It is of essential importance to deal with such emerging issues, as they will be of great consequence, not just for our culture and economies, but also for how we individually will perceive the world. The perceived importance of developing new and hybrid metaphors for the new technological possibilities has led to the hybrid and experimental “research by media-art” character of this scientific investigation.

Research questions, hypothesis and background
I work with the following research a) open questions:

• how is interactivity experienced within multimodal, computer enabled environments?
• What new qualities does the concept of symbioactive interactivity represent?
• Which expressions does a symbioactive loss of control have, and how can it be induced?

and b) critical questions:

• do users of symbioactive interactive systems experience interactivity differently from pro-active systems?
• does “symbioactive interactivity” represent a new form of interactivity, or is it just a technical construction and a matter of (sensory) information intensity?
• at what multi-modal (sensory) overload does symbioactive interactivity break down?

My working hypothesis is contrary to what we are used to think, the sensory manipulation experienced in multimodal, computer enabled environments lead to a loss of control over the media-created experience.

Research Aim. this research is directed at developing an conceptual and empirical framework for understanding symbioactive interactivity.

Research objective: the fundamental contribution of my thesis will be the description of this new category of interaction: symbioactive interactivity as the users loss of total control in emerging man-machine systems.

Research activity: theoretical and empirical studies of interactive media art

Research Goal: to establish Symbioactive Interactivity as a concept that better describes multimodal interactive experience as it will be experienced in emerging communication technology