Joachim Sauter, new media frontiersman and digital artist, melted quite a few of the audience’s grey cells with his presentation The Renaissance of Space, at our London event. It showcased his most unique work while promoting his theory that the future of interactive media will be bringing digital experiences into physical spaces.The Creators Project: It seems that people's perspective on spaces and spatial interaction is one of the main motivations in much of your design…
Joachim Sauter: Yes. I more or less predicted the renaissance of space as a reaction to nearly 15 years of isolated communication—in front of a computer, on the internet. People have the desire to move back into [physical] space but in the meantime they are aware of the qualities of digital media—like connection, collaboration, networking—and they want to see this in the physical space. This is what I am working on, merging these two disciplines.So when do you think physical space was forgotten?
Between the middle of the 90s and the middle of this decade, we were all looking at the virtual space. And now the [physical] space has had a renaissance and people have the desire to go back to it.Berlin is an epicentre of electronics. Is it inspiring living there?
It is. Because we had five different regimes in the last century who have tried to erase each previous regime's legacy, the city is permanently in redevelopment. So Berlin is a media city.When you walk around the other installations and exhibitions, do you feel a competitive spirit seeing other people's work?
Yes, but in a very constructive way let's say!
Joachim Sauter: Yes. I more or less predicted the renaissance of space as a reaction to nearly 15 years of isolated communication—in front of a computer, on the internet. People have the desire to move back into [physical] space but in the meantime they are aware of the qualities of digital media—like connection, collaboration, networking—and they want to see this in the physical space. This is what I am working on, merging these two disciplines.So when do you think physical space was forgotten?
Between the middle of the 90s and the middle of this decade, we were all looking at the virtual space. And now the [physical] space has had a renaissance and people have the desire to go back to it.Berlin is an epicentre of electronics. Is it inspiring living there?
It is. Because we had five different regimes in the last century who have tried to erase each previous regime's legacy, the city is permanently in redevelopment. So Berlin is a media city.When you walk around the other installations and exhibitions, do you feel a competitive spirit seeing other people's work?
Yes, but in a very constructive way let's say!