T. Whid interviews Yael Kanarek.
Yael Kanarek's World of Awe (http://www.worldofawe.net) is the
documentation of a fictional 'traveler' exploring a magical landscape
in search of a "lost
treasure." We encounter the traveler through an interface, which is
both magical and mundane. It looks suspiciously like a Mac or Windows
desktop, there are icons on the desktop and pull-down menus at the
top of the screen. But click an icon or choose a pull-down option and
you'll be instantly transported to the world of the traveler. The
World of Awe.
Yael builds World of Awe through images of desert landscape,
descriptions of the traveler's tools, pages from the traveler's
journal, and love letters
that the traveler sends to a lover left behind. All these elements
are seamlessly integrated through the interface, which is a wonderful
technical use of dynamic HTML, much of it written by programmer Luis
Perez.
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Twhid: Yael, why did you choose to use the utilitarian GUI (graphical user
interface) standards as the guidelines to build your interface for the magical
environment described in World of Awe? As if World of Awe is an application
running on a desktop?
Yael: I think of an application as a private environment to execute ideas.
Working in an application is usually a solitary experience and therefore seemed
appropriate for a journal containing the particular narrative I have been
developing. Also, I was hoping to increase usability, as visitors are familiar
with standard navigation system and by that guide them directly into the
narrative. But I don't really think it worked out that way. Instead of becoming
transparent the interface becomes very apparent and as a result of re-purposing
conventional functionality it ends up revisiting the language that is
used in
GUI. For example, words such as NEW and SAVE in an application indicate certain
actions, but their usage in language is wider and in the context of WOA
we are
reminded of that. In that respect the interface becomes part function, part
fiction. Another reason for using GUI stems from the narrative. In
[the chapter]
Silicon Canyon the traveler is rebuilding a laptop from old hardware and
software. What we are seeing as the website is a mirror of the content restored
from the laptop.
Twhid: Do you want people to think that the interface is from the traveler's
laptop?
Yael: Yes, but it's not critical. Though this idea serve well as a link between
the fantastical narrative and reality. The website becomes a player in the
narrative allowing the story to spill beyond its original territory.
Twhid: There has been talk in the net art community about going 'beyond the
browser', Jodi (http://www.jodi.org) created SOD, there's Netomat, and other
artists' applications are being developed that aren't browser-based. Why
did you
choose to create a browser-based application rather than a downloadable
application?
Yael: The web has proven to be a great environment for exploring the blurry
borders of fact and fiction. The McCoys do it in Airwold, you have been playing
with it in MTEWW. Also, the web is a more impressionable environment for a
project that is constantly developing. I can easily update and I like
that. Luis
and I are working on another environment that will expand the visual experience
of World of Awe. That one is being built on a game engine and will be a
downloadable application.
[At this point, there is some convoluted conversation prompted by
t.whid's vague
and ill-formed questions. The one interesting point that arises from
this part of
the conversation is that the edges of the story of the traveler are
meant to be
'open ended, the gender of the traveler isn't defined, whether or not
it's even
human isn't defined.']
Twhid: Why do you want to keep the edges of the story ambiguous?
Yael: It's right in line with the reader-generated interactivity that
the web
encourages. So in addition to the conscious decisions the readers make when
choosing a link I create space for some subconscious ones such as
whether the
traveler is male or female.
Twhid: So a real plot isn't that important?
Yael: I don't think that keeping the edges of the story ambiguous
negates a plot.
Twhid: It seems like plot is less important than in a traditional story because
of the hypertext nature of the web, you can enter the story from an arbitrary
place.
Yael: True. Find a link and enter. I preferred if visitors read pages from
beginning to end though because the humor and the twists are in the
details. For
that reason I restricted the use of hypertext by excluding links from
the body of
the narrative so once you open a page you are actually exposed to a mini plot.
Twhid: What does the Lost Treasure mean to you Yael?
Yael: Wow. Now we're sliding right into an ambiguous edge. What does it mean
to you?
T.Whid is one half of MTAA (M. River & T. Whid Art Associates), a
Brooklyn-based
conceptual and net art collaboration. Recent exhibitions include: 'The Art
Entertainment Network' (http://aen.walkerart.org) -- created by the
Walker Art
Center, 'Three Suitcases' Art & Idea in Mexico City, and '9/9 Review
of Practical
Art', published in Paris, France. MTAA's online artwork and more
information at
MT Enterprises WorldWide (http://www.mteww.com).
This interview wil appear in Sandbox#8: BANG! which focuses on experimental
music and sound art and features interviews with Diamanda Galas, Granular
Synthesis and Willy le Maitre and Eric Rosenzweig of the Appearance Machine.
The magazine will be released at a live performance event at Galapagos on
Tuesday October 3rd (70 n. 6th st in Williamsburg). Copies can be purchased
by sending a $5 check (or $8 for a 2 issue subscription) at PO Box
150098 Brooklyn NY 11215.
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