A drop of light: an interactive new media art investigation of human-technology symbiosis

Abstract Human-technology interactions have constantly exposed humans’ technologically mediated perception to a psychological paradox of two conflicting coupled states. The first supports human capabilities, whereas the second affects individuals’ self-perceptions. “A Drop of Light” is an interactive new media art investigation based on human-computer interaction. It seeks to reproduce this paradox by developing a computer-generated holographic spot. This spot acts as a responsive technological hypermedium with which participants interact, and their technologically mediated perceptions are embodied, expressed, and analyzed. By defining and applying three structural principles of an assumed technological embodiment model of human perception, a dialogue was established between the generated holographic spot and the participants to facilitate three levels of integration with the technological hypermedium. The project culminated in the creation of an empirical interactive installation performance employed as an experimental psychology lab. In this exhibition-based lab, the interaction zone embodied the performer’s hesitation mode. Her technological attitude and consequent responsive activities oscillated between technophilia and technophobia. These are two conflicting psychological states. By analyzing the interactions’ real-time-based processes, the role of the structural principles was validated. They were instrumental in developing the technologically mediated symbolic conversation between the performer and the hypermedium. Operationally, the principles equipped the conversation’s two parties to upgrade their mutual interactions toward a symbiotic coexistence in the installation’s ecosystem. Through this, the performer’s hesitation mode was reduced, and her balanced technological attitudes were validated. Within this context, the project emphasizes how interactive new media practices contribute. They help investigate participants’ technologically mediated experiences and behaviors. They also aid in the derivation of related quantitative and qualitative data in favor of human perception studies and related psychological inquiries.