artist cinq

Olia Lialina's work "My Boyfriend Came Back from the War" was one of the first New Media pieces that involved direct interaction between the viewer and the art itself. In fact, the piece was so advanced, complex techonolgically and emotionally, that it was often recognized as having more of the criteria of a movie. "My Boyfriend Came Back from the War" depicts the emotionaly turmoil a couple experiences after their reunion. By clicking the various parts of the web page, new information of the story unfolds. The woman had affairs while her boyfriend fought for his own survival. As the story splits up, so does the screen, further and further into little pieces. After a while, the text and images stop, and all that is left are black squares. This was the first piece I actually got to engage with, because the link worked. I remember seeing someone present this in class, and not being that interested. When I was the one clicking through the story, however, it was a completely different experience. I was glued to the text popping up. I wanted to read what happened next. Being able to physically interact with any piece, I think, adds a new dimension to the work. All experiences are personal, but this even more so. You have to be involved to find the rest of the story. As a viewer, I really like that concept because it makes me more aware of every detail and the work the artist put forth.