“BUG: Interactive and Immersive Narratives” (2019) was organized by André Paz (UNIRIO/PPGMC UFRJ) and Sandra Gaudenzi (University of Westminster). It is the first Portuguese-language book about the field written in Brazil. It provides a panoramic vision of the international and national scenes, and represents a comprehensive dialog between researchers, producers, and artists.
A bug is an error in programming. Something unexpected, strange in the system. This book is about works just like that: uncommon to the programmed universe of the internet. They are interactive and immersive with different formats and platforms (websites, cell phone applications, virtual reality headsets, installations, web documentaries, interactive documentaries, 360o videos, virtual reality, augmented reality). A variety of productions which incorporate the interactivity or immersion of new media into their narrative structures.
The book is bilingual. The content a result of the organizers’ international research project, with financing from the British Academy. It was co-published by Automática Editora, Letra e Imagem, and Oi Futuro. The publication is a result of the BUG Exhibition project, held in the Oi Futuro Flamengo Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2018, curated by André Paz, Julia Salles, and Arnau Gifreu-Castells. It represents a deeper objective of the Exhibition: to produce an introduction to the field which can inspire new research and production projects related to interactive and immersive narratives.
Behind the interfaces, the work addressed in the book explored different practices regarding creation, production, dissemination and reception between creators, participants and the public. Co-creation processes and the production of participative and collaborative media allow for different forms of agency. The projects’ proposals go beyond the artistic, encompassing social impact, resignification of urban spaces, and preserving the environment, cultural heritage, and social memory.
The book’s interviews and articles, in incorporating a diverse range of voices and visions, represent yet another attempt to deepen the dialog between researchers and those who create and produce these works.
The book can be found at Amazon, Submarino, Shoptime, Americanas.com, Estante, or by entering in contact with the Bug404 team. A free PDF version in Portuguese and English is available at the links below.
English: https://bit.ly/2EmmUMw
Portuguese: https://bit.ly/2PxBdDp
