Abstract

Interactivity is secured for object-based works when artists sanction rules for participation, allowing audience members to engage with or co-construct the display. Rules for participation can take many forms: they may involve invitations or requirements to engage in activities ranging from free play to very specific behaviors. Artworks involving rules for participation create unique experiences, since these rules engage our embodied agency and press us to decide whether and how we will comply with requirements or take up invitations. The advent of rules for participation affects even works that do not involve such rules: it creates an ethos where audiences may feel empowered to participate even when it is not permitted. Uninvited participation can be playful or destructive, and artists like Kara Walker use it to explore societal dynamics of power and oppression.