More detail ... context glue

Where we are ...

A show via liquid would be based on a number of works, in a traditional context we would consider the curator identifying the works in question, however this may not be the case in liquid. The physical and technical setting for encountering a work can be a highly significant factor, however for the present a relatively pragmatic decision is that the works will be browser ready. The feature of the setting that liquid will support is showing of the works and the contextual views that are associated with them or support them, that is providing a context. The contextual views can vary in technical complexity from windows about a work with static or independently dynamic content, through to "working with the work" views - for example a context view that provides some real-time interaction with the work. Architecturally, it makes sense for the working with the work views to be provided via the server hosting the work, where as independent views can supported by the liquid server. (See outline indicative XML image)

The showing of the work will be governed by "glue views" - these will be context planes for setting and controlling how the works are encountered. There are a variety of alternative glues that could be provided by the liquid system, and they could extended and added to as artists, curators or even viewers see fit.

Informally, a glue view would say how works are encountered. From the workshop the initial preferences seemed to be for works occupy the entire alpha plane. This preference excludes virtual physical inter-relationships being depicted, such as, say, a "desktop" of works.

The simplest example of some glue would be a single "one-way thread" through the works. For which the user can more forward from one work to the next, in this case the "next button" would be made available as a navigation aid common to all the works. Clearly other routes can be envisaged, such as being able to more forward and backward or having, say, a timed transition. There is also no need for consistently linear threads through the works, the space of possibilities is very large and it would be particularly useful to identify some of the most relevant.