Technologised bodies in art

Kazuhiko Hachiya's  Inter-Discommunication Machine is the most interesting one. Actually, I am not interested in science and technology. That's why I am not appreciated the other two works compared with Hachiya's work. I like the concept of Hachiya's work. He made a pretty good use of technology. After wearing the head-mounted displays, two players can exchange their sense of seeing and hearing in order to break the borders of defining "you" and "me". Such interesting idea can be easily achieved when people trying this machine, however, it is impossible to experience it without using technology. I think it is a great work to bring happiness and new experience for people. I can imagine how excited it is.

Moreover, the installation is full of uniqueness. The wings which they are wearing are communication system.  There are transmitter and TV to be install inside.  The feather is another commuication system. After wearing the visual glass, participater can see what other participater see. It can confuse their visual perception. To aim at arising participater's "double identity self" and "mutual identity". Participaters would have double idendity when they are playing with this machine. They would start thinking of the question of self-idendity.

 The appearance of this artwork is beautiful. Every parts of the machine are designed in a well quality, included the use of color and the decoration on it. The floor is designed with a Chinese-like sign. It is a sign of "TaiChi". The artist has added some elements from Chinese philosophy. The sign means something like "negative" and "positive". Therefore, I guess the artist would like to explain an idea of fusion and separation. It is relevant to the concept of this artwork.

Mouchette: a digital artwork that explores identity

Description of Mouchette


Mouchette is a website which is created by an artisit. The website with a big picture for background. Most web pages have flower's picture. There are some sentences and words on each page. In the first page, a few sentences introduce who Mouchette is. Each sentence with a box for visitor to tick. I guess it aims at asking visitors whether they believe the sentences. Also, a young girl's picture appears on the upper left corner. It is very strange to see that some ants are walking around the page. Also, visitor can hear a sound of crying.
The colour of each page is different but all are vivid and bright. Some pages have repeating a same picture to create pattern and movements.


The work is about....In fact, the true identity of the artisit is unknown. Mouchette(the website) is based on Robert Bresson's 1967 film, Mouchette(film). It is about a girl who is raped at night and then she committed suicide. So that Mouchette(website) is expressing some feelings from the girl(The film character). The website arouses a controversy of child sexuality. Somehow the content and the sound in the website would provoke visitor's sexual sensation. To me, the first impression is very strange. The sounds are quite thrilling  and erotic. The repeating, huge and vivid background on the pages make me feel unsafe and horrible.


Reference from: https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/display/MarkTribe/Mouchette

Online identities

A class member has an interesting set of online identities which is not same as mine. She has about 10 online identities, include forums, facebook, blogs, Twitter, msn and online games etc. These identities can be different to their personal identities in the reality. She added some fake personal datum or created certain different online identities. For some online games, she created a figure with fake gender, appearance as well as adding some features that she does not have in the reality. Pet Society is a famous online game on facebook. It is a funny online game for players to make a figure with an animal face and body. She can pretend to be a dog or bear with a pretty face inside this game as well as doing something impossible. For example, buying a lot of stuff and dressing up with different styles.


The fake identity on the Interent can conceal the real identity in the real world. My classmates  mostly purpose to make a joke to others, such as using a forum identity to express some anti-social comments or pretending someone to chat with others. These hidden identities can show different sides of themself. Also, they can exploit these identities to show-off themself, like exaggerating their success and ability.


Besides, having online identity has to burden certain risks. Some people may put their real identity or data on the Internet. Such as facebook or some online bank account. User's personal data could be stolen by cracker, and then to be used for criminal  act. As a matter of fact, it exposes the disadvantage of online identity. It cannot be totally safe and protect each user's privacy. In the net world, almost every data can be searched as long as typing the key words on google, all relevant data can be found. So that, it is easy to reveal user's real identity to strangers. User should bear these risks and make a serious decision before creating an online identtity.

The ethics of Videogames

Topic:The ethics of Videogames
Case study: The Sims series


a) Key quotes:
"Child molesters might use the game as a sort of virtual practice arena."
Miami attorney, Jack Thompson
(http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.232468-Should-you-be-allowed-to-kill-children-in-games?page=8)


I have no problem with murdering, raping, curb stomping etc. Anyone in a game because game are ways to "experience" thing you don't in real life.
Sarah Kerrigan
(http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.232468-Should-you-be-allowed-to-kill-children-in-games?page=8)


b)Key links:
http://thesims.ea.com/
http://www.cracked.com/blog/exploring-the-mysteries-of-the-mind-with-the-sims-3/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fIY_GZ6In0&feature=related


c) Key books/articles:
http://www.games.net/article/feature/102822/madness-moral-crusaders-attack-the-sims-ea-responds-update


d) Case study
Publisher: Electronic Art(EA)
Name: The Sims(Series)
First release: January 31, 2000


Describe it in details:

The sims series keep upgrading and having better amendments. The quality of the frame and details in the game are upgraded. Also, The sims keeps releasing many expansion packs and games. Items and funiture can be downloaded and uploaded on the Internet. It attracts more and more players to play the game and maintains the sense of freshness.

players can make an ideal city and create whatever they want. They can interact with every building and city and master all the limited control in the Sims world. Moreover, 3-D models on Sims can be modified. Player has ability to create a character and change any parts of the body when player building a character. You can change their facial details, dressing and body type etc.

The Sims's characters are as real as human in the real life and behave like a humankind as well.

The newest series of The Sims, The Sims 3.

The power of Youtube

Youtube clip-"BUS UNCLE"


1.How many viewers are estimated to have watched the youtube video?


More than 1 million viewers have watched this youtube video. Viewers are not just HongKongers, include many foreigners.


2.   How would you rate the video?

A) Is it of high quality in technical terms? Is it interesting aesthetically eg camera angles, use of light, the narrative, and so on?

I rate this video as quite a high rate. It was very famous and controversial since few years ago. This video is not taken by a professional camera or cameraman. So that, it is not of high quality in technical terms, even no much aesthetic value is invested in this video taking. In this video, we can see that it is taken by a cell phone's camera. The quality of the video is low and the sound is unclear as well. It is obviously taken in an immediate moment.

B) Does it raise interesting socio-cultural issues? 

It arouse a big controversy and social concern after uploaded this clips on Youtube.  People are attracted by the conversation between "Bus Uncle" and  the young man. The clip arose hot topics in forums and media. Almost 1/3 Hong Kong people knew this issue. A group of netizens even made some creative videos, photos and topics which are related to "Bus Uncle".  The most well-known topical subject is the dialogues from "Bus Uncle". Such as " We both have persure" "not settled". These dialogues are joyful to most people, also this clips helps building a common subject or language for Hong Kong people. It is a kind of new public culture in this modern age.


A few sentences which are famous from "Bus Uncle":

A song mixed with the clip of Bus Uncle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v48tRk-Yy8&feature=related


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


Yes, it deserved the attention from the internet community due to the rude attitude on Bus Uncle. Many netizens blamed on Bus Uncle that he was too rude for just a little bit issue. They criticise what Bus Uncle said to the young man and his brutal words spoken from his mouth. By contrast, a part of netizens feel sorry for Bus Uncle. They agree that he had a huge persure on him and think that we should sympathize his flushed behaviour. He just same as other HongKongers, finding a way to express his bad mood.

4. Do video-sharing sites such as YouTube enhance or worsen creative culture? Comment.

It is no doubt that video-sharing sites help enhancing creative culture. Those sites create a platform for anyone to share ideas and video works. In this modern age, such great quantity of video/digital media producers are neccessary. Some talent video makers could take use of these sites for showing their works. These sites do attract many excellent producers to engage in creative culture. They also encourage people to create and join the business of creation.

On the other hand, this kind of video-sharing sites beat the development of creative culture. Acorrding to  an essay I read from reading, the writer pointed out that "user" should be divided into professionals and amateurs. professionals are used to create works for goals or busniess. But, amateurs could be producers, consumers, visitors or whatever. After video-sharing sities appeared, the identity of professionals and amateurs seems exchanged. Professionals became more and more unimportant, on the contrary, amateurs are going to be appearciated. They works are almost for fun and enjoyed by vast viewers. Therefore, those non-commercial works start replacing what professionals designed. Professionals even imitate those amateurs' works. It really ruin the market of creation. They help worsen the "copy culture", no profile to the market finally.