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generation of man-made materials such as wood-based panels, paper, cement, metal,
ceramic and glass; the third generation of synthetic materials such as plastic, rubber
and fiber; the fourth generation of composite materials such as fiber-reinforced mate-
rials used in aerospace components; the fifth generation of smart materials with one or
more properties that can be changed or controlled by external stimuli, such as
force, temperature, electricity or magnetic fields. The advances in the material
science has pushed the evolution of material technology forward, which has also a
great impact on its application in the field of arts [5].
In the traditional public arts, the materials of the first and second generation are
most often used. Along with the development of the material technology, the synthet-
ic and composite materials are more and more applied, however the forms of the pub-
lic arts remain static. The recent development of the smart materials and especially
the digital media brings dynamic forms to the public arts that utilize different modali-
ties of the senses. The further development in sensor technology, computer and mo-
bile networks brings interactivity to public arts.
1.2
Four Levels of Interactivity
Based on the work of Edmonds et al [6], Wang, Hu and Rauterberg defined three
generations of art and generative technology according to the carrying material, tech-
nology and interactivity [7]: 1) Static forms: there is no interaction between the art
artifact and the viewer, and the artifact does not respond to its context and environ-
ment. 2) Dynamic forms: the art artifact has its internal mechanism to change its
forms, depending on time or limited to reacting to the changes in its environment such
as temperature, sound or light. The viewer is however a passive observer and has no
influence on the behavior of the artifact. 3) Interactive forms: the viewer has an active
role in influencing the dynamic form of the art object. The input from the viewer can
be gesture, motion, sound as well as other human activity that can be captured by the
artifact's sensorial layer. When interactivity is introduced, the “dialog” between the
viewer and the perceived dynamic form of the artifact can always vary depending on
the difficult-to-predict behavior of the human viewer. Later Hu et al [2] introduced
the fourth generation of the public art forms - participatory forms - Interactive art
platforms that allow social interactivity and creativity contribute to the physical and
digital parts of the artifact. Artists and designers do not create the public media arts
as a final result, but create them as platforms for other artists and the public to contri-
bute to the artifact. The creation process, together with the results of this process,
forms the dynamic media artifact that grows with the creative input from the social
environment and over time.
The new materials in public art installations give the birth to interactivity and
participation, and in turn, the interactivity and participation also introduces new chal-
lenges, not only in the creative design process, but also in how to involve the partici-
pants in this process and in evaluating the targeted experience such as such as social
connectedness and inclusion. Next we present several design cases, giving examples
to interactive and participatory forms, then sharing our practices and experiences in
facing and handling these challenges.
