[In The Language of New Media Lev Manovich argues that the 'interactivity' of new media derives from earlier art forms, ed.] [W]ith sculpture and architecture, the viewer has to move her whole body to experience the spatial structure […] film cinematography actively guided the viewer to switch from one part of a frame to another[...] When we use the concept of 'interactive media' exclusively in relation to computer-based media, there is a danger that we will interpret 'interaction' literally, equating it with physical interaction between a user and a media object (pressing a button, choosing a link, moving the body), at the expense of psychological interaction.
Manovich, 2001, p. 56 - 57
The flip side of nearly generic terms such as new, digital, and interactive is the attempt to define new media as a set of unique properties - the 'formalist rap' (q)
Dietz, 2005, p. 86
While the word is most commonly applied to electronic media such as computerdriven installations and Web sites, interactivity also describes installations that allow visitors to manipulate or take home components of a physical artwork. The variable media questionnaire tracks such considerations as the type of interface; the method by which visitors modify the work; and the form in which traces of such input are recorded.
Variable Media Initiative - Glossary, p. 130-137
