Taipei Digital Art Festival 2008　－Trans－

• The Era of Digital Interface
  　　　　The digital era brings various interfaces to machines in the form of electrical currents, intertwining into an informational network between remote connections and I/O of human-machine interfaces. We should not be concerned towards responding to these fast-paced technological advances, as the new interfaces will act as the intermediate medium for us to directly experience the digitalized world. The standard of reality is now decided upon the resolution and sampling rate.
  　　　　Definitions of the digital era include boundless extension of electronic precision as well as the all-new perceptional experience achieved through various interfaces and formats. Even though general understandings of the basic principle lacks transparency, this does not prevent us from relying on this tool to create the civilization and worldview that we currently live in. The digital interface has already melted into our lives as sensational experience.
  
• What is -Trans-
  　　　　Connectivity between interfaces is always one step ahead of the single interface network, wherein the originally intended functionality of the interface covers oneself and the external expandability. No single interface will be designed to work by itself alone, but rather as a passage of channel in a complete system; partly to accomplish the specialized task as designed, but also to synchronize information to other interfaces. The display interface at terminal systems is an example of such principle, whereas the human function is relayed to the system through complex mechanisms. This is the basic concept of -Trans- and from the aspect of culture and art, -Trans- can also be seen as the interface to transcend and interpret above all.
  　　　　Communication of creativity, from the original conception to the live experience of audiences, is not dissimilar with the process of converting electrons into distinguishable patterns through the display interface. In the past, the phrase “The media is the message” explains the tool of communication with a touch of bias; today, cognition of interface message relay has eliminated all unnecessary noise. We will be able to go from one creativity to another creativity with clarity, going by instant reaction in the most simplistic form allowed.


• Extension and Rebuild of the Body
  　　　　Going by the digital or technological means is to purify the sense of vision and sharpness of the mind through visuals of similar qualities. When we stand at this state of digital era, all residual baggage in the head must be thrown away for the body to enter a never before experienced journey. No extra weight burdens the senses and words become meaningless under the explosion of all stimulations.
  　　　　The interactions of human-machine interface have transformed us into smart and precise machinery; the electronic eye takes the place of our retinas and the Internet space becomes an extension of our skin and nerve endings. The world as we know now is presented to us in an all-new experience, and our cognition knows not to wait anymore.


• Transcending Space-time
  

          Space-time and cognition is a concept of relative matter, where the conclusion arrives at the end of the culture & arts passageway. Contemporary space-time cognition has entered the digital era of overlapping time and flattened space, diverse and synchronized developments of blending the new interface with the human body is progressing rapidly. Digital art is such product of the era and will therefore present this trend of transcending space-time continuum.

          The invited works form the world, core part of Taipei Digital Art Festival 2008, will present to the audiences a journey through time and space. We will be combining the elements of Internet and wireless connectivity, interactivity of body and images, games and sharing spaces, and transforming shapes etc. to demonstrate an updated version of the human perception.