Interaction, Interactivity, Interactive Art
a buzzword of new media under scrutiny

Conference organized by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Media.Art.Research.
at Ars Electronica 2008 on September 4, 2008, Brucknerhaus, Linz (AT)
Concept: Katja Kwastek

'Interactivity' has become virtually a magic word for the promotion of new media and the media arts alike. The term refers not only to a certain technology, it also stands for social concepts and visions ranging from grassroots democracy all the way to consumer freedom. This imbues the term with its broad-ranging impact, but also contributes to its dilution.

This year's conference of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Media.Art.Research. invites experts from different disciplines to examine the origins and applications of the various concepts of interactivity. It questions the extent to which interactivity should be considered a fundamental concept in the social and technological, cultural and artistic context, or as an outdated buzzword, useful only for the self-promotion of the different fields.