The Analysis of Interactive Digital Art, Based on Merlea-Ponty Body Perception (Case Study: Artists and Robots Exhibition of Paris)

Present study seeks to identify common points of Merlea-Ponty body-perception view and interactive digital art of contemporary era. The salience of interactive digital art as a modern art has necessitated its thourough study. Present study is of descriptive-analytic type and librarian method was applied for data gathering from the samples of interactive digital art exhibition held in Paris in 2018 titled Artists and Robots. It has a theoretical approach to the body perception view of Merlea-Ponty, the French philosopher of the 20^th century. Merlea-Ponty argues that perception is bodily (physical). He contends it is body that   percieves not the mind. Audience is not merely an inspector, but is active in the creative process of production. Present research findings demonstrate that the interaction of audiences with interactive digital art is through body-perception, and the bilateral interaction between the two is so that there is no distinction between the subject and the object, but both shape each other. The main hypothesis of the research is : “regarding the specific characteristic of interactive digital art, it is more effective to analyze it based on Merlea-Ponty views of body perception. Studying  Merlea-Ponty views, it is found that interaction occurs in perception and the audiences of interactive digital art perceive  these works through body perception”. In other words, this study makes an attempt to answer this question that how critical is the role of body perception in perceiving interactive digital art. It has also sought some features of body perception in interactive digital art.
  Merlea-Ponty argues that any analysis of human status must regard the fact that human being is situated within the world. This physical presence in the world precedes the perception and self-reflection.in other words, stressing the crucial and fundamental role perception plays in understanding the world makes the core of his philosophy. According to him, we are not independent, self-conscious beings as depicted in Rene Descartes philosophy, disentangled from the outside reality, but we are creatures the self-consciousness of whom is induced through interaction with the physical world and other creatures. Merlea-Ponty strives for the unity of mind and body against Rene Descartes' dualism so that the world's perception can be defined from a bodily viewpoint. Descartes philosophical statement Cogito, ergo sum or "I think, therefore I am" stresses the subject and negates the world. However, Merlea-Ponty objected to the excessive stress Rene Descartes put on reason since he believed rationalism reduces one's experience of the world to a trivial thought, concept, or idea.
What is quite prominent in Merlea-Ponty's philosophy is perception. According to him, there is no perception void of action. Perception requires action. Integrated attitude toward action and perception in Merlea-Ponty phenomenology turns his ideas into an interesting initial point for discussing about user interactive experience. Merlea-Ponty theory implies that meaning is constituted through interaction. Accordingly, the interactive digital art makes an attempt to communicate novice experiences and a different narration of art. The audience is increasingly influenced by this sort of art which is a combination of games and entertainment. Human body is used as a concentration point for generating interaction with the audience. As a matter of fact, interactive digital art works struggle to connect the audience with the art work both physically and objectively. This entails creating non-verbal dialogue with the audience and is generally accompanied with different body motions of the audience including jumping, rapid movements, etc.
Merlea-Ponty does not conceive philosophy and art as two separate things, and his ideas regarding perception is as well applied in art. He does not discriminate against aesthetic perception and general perception. This study therefore seeks the relationship between Merlea-Ponty philosophy and interactive digital art and it is attempted to analyze interactive digital art in a phenomenological way, based on Merlea-Ponty philosophy concepts. The methodology of present study is descriptive-analytic and data is gathered through librarian method, exclusively out of a case of "artists and robots" exhibition, held in Paris in 2018. This case had a theoretical approach to body perception concept of Merlea-Ponty philosophy. This theoretical approach was chosen because Merlea-Ponty believes that perception is a bodily (physical) phenomenon. As perception and experience grew more prominent in interactive digital art, the phenomenological ideas of Merlea-Ponty in this regard provided researchers with noble ways for assessing modern art media. This study specifically scrutinized the interrelation of body perception with modern art media (interactive digital art). Needless to say, the significance of interactive digital art in modern world necessitates its study and analysis.
Within last years, numerous studies have been carried out dealing with interactive art and body perception. Present study has however attempted to avoid repetition or review of over-stated theories. The main issue in present study is physical (body) perception for perceiving interactive digital arts. We therefore want to understand how this type of perception omits the boundary between subject and object and makes an interaction between them. It is as well studied how body expands or condenses through the movement detection technology in moderated arts.
It was found out in present study that in line with Merlea-Ponty viewpoints, the audience is not merely an inspector but is actively involved with producing the art work. This study reveals that the interaction of audiences with interactive digital art is through body perception. The art work is perceived bodily and there is no distinction between the object and the subject in this interaction, but they are both formed through mutual interaction with one another. Body perception in Merlea-Ponty philosophy implies that perception experience belongs to a place and time which is not repeatable.  The world perception is considered pre-cognitive and bodily and it is the result of the combination of body sense and motion with the world. He therefore argues that I see in the world and I am simultaneously sensed and seen. Accordingly, the interaction of the audience with interactive art through perception can be described as follows;
Initially, it must be noted that perception is formed by "phenomenal field". The reference framework is defined by previous experiences the user has had with modern interactive constructs. The horizon or visual sight of the user is the phenomenal field in which all these interactions occur. For example, the habit of touching things or clicking which is rooted in life style mingled with using modern interactive objects with the aim of further learning is a part of this phenomenal field. It must as well be pointed that perception is "oriented". Implicit invitation in interactive arts exhibition to using senses for the user of interactive objects evokes a specific "orientation" toward this art work. In this regard, the art work is primarily a thing which must be touched or needs an action (ex. Moving hands and legs, or blowing, etc.) to turn active, not a thing to be merely watched. Furthermore, perception is of "active" nature. Perception of the art work needs an action. The user's experience is made up of both the appearance of the work and the user's behavior. Without action, we are left alone with a white screen and we lose the user experience which can be revealed through interaction. Perception therefore involved "the whole body". Experiencing an interactive art not only requires visual perception, but it as well needs body. The body and eye movements are integrated parts of perception process which leads to the perception of art work. Interactive experience is therefore both made by the object and it is mediated by it. Consequently, according to Merlea-Ponty, speaking merely of interaction is meaningless since it is the stimulus which leads to an action. Specific aspects of interaction would rather be described as perception. The visitor in interactive digital art exhibition perceives the art work through interaction with it. This interaction necessarily involves the whole body.