"Ornitorrinco" and "Rara Avis": Telepresence Art on the Internet

摘要

THIS PAPER IS A DISCUSSION OF AESTHETIC IMPLICATIONS AND PRACTICAL implementations of the author’s telepresence art. Ornitorrinco in Eden and Rara Avis , two recent examples of worldwide networked telepresence installations presented publicly over the Internet, are discussed in the paper. A framework is presented to introduce theoretical and cultural aspects of this work. It is proposed that the use of electronic media in art to physically act on remote spaces constitutes a new aesthetic element, compared to the more traditional representational use of such media. It is also proposed that a new aesthetic is emerging out of artistic experimentation with operation of telerobots, co-existence in virtual and real spaces, synchronicity of actions, real-time remote control, man-animal-plant-robot interfaces, and collaboration through networks. In a technical appendix, Ed Bennett describes the design and implementation of the hardware and software used in Ornitorrinco in Eden and Rara Avis. This is followed by a glossary defining the main technical terminology of telepresence systems.