One thing I enjoy about participatory art, as opposed to art simply meant to be observed, is the role of the viewer in defining the art itself and the art experience. Not only was the physical canvas changed with this new approach, but also the environment as a whole. A work may take up room in a space or be the space itself. The open nature of this art form also allows for wider interpretation, dependent more on the viewer than traditional art. This changed the viewer-art relationship, requiring viewers to complete the piece as intended. As author Edward A. Shanken stated in Art and Electronic Media, "Philosopher John Dewey stressed the viewer's role in the production of meaning in art" (28). A strong example of this user-dependent interpretation is in the piece Beobachtung der Beobachtung: Unbestimmtheit by Peter Weibel. In this art installation, only one viewer can experience the art at a time. The viewer sees three views of themselves captured in real time, but never from the front. This may cause the viewer to consider topics such as how others see us, societal status, and isolation.
Participatory art can make non-biological objects "come alive", in a sense. Open source projects allow beginners to utilize simple circuits and code to create an equally visually charged artwork using technology. This allows the sharing of technology with the idea in mind that various thought-provoking approaches can be made using one open-source circuit and/or code. The ability to create pieces that viewers don't just react to- but interact with- is a beautiful opportunity. This digital technology is key, but I think that the approach, reasoning, and what precisely the viewer absorbs from the piece is even more important.
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