"Das
Epos der Maschine"
(The Epic of the Machine) by Urs Schreiber (1998) is a work
that consists only of words except one graphic and a sound
file, which can be put aside for now. However, we are not
wrong in discussing this piece in the hypermedia section
since what we encounter is again a sort of visualisation
without images. The words itself represent pictures by
moving in a predetermined way. If, for example, we click on
the word 'Maschine' it produces words which push the former
words away like technology pushes nature away.
We soon realize that this
piece does not only adresses technology as a doubtful god
that controls us, but it also lets us feel it. We do not
know how to deal with it, we feel as though we are under the
thumb of technology already. And indeed, we are. Everything
is programmed. Our reading process is not as free as it uses
to be with books.
One remarkable effect is
when the words, which are putting technology into question,
shape into a question mark. The period of the question mark
is the word 'truth' with a background like a barcode, what
may lead us to the association one can buy truth.
The words are moving as if
the question is alive. If we click on the word 'truth' the
other words disappear behind or in it as if it has swallowed
them.
However, once the question
has arisen, one can not get rid of it anymore. The words
sticks on the 'truth', they follow where ever it moves, they
can be 'eaten' again, but not erased.
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