[CATEGORIES], a tagnovel

From Rhizome Artbase
2009
Description

The concept of tagnovels comes in the sense of rearranging the narrative through the usage of computer capability of search and selection. The selection is, however, more of a human-computer interaction, since the tags have been placed by the author, not by the computer. The work of the computer consists solely in storing data on the database of input texts under the named tags, and to show it as the reader chooses what tag to read.
Hyperfiction has been for long following patterns of hyperlink usage, but still there are no narratives built on the concept of tags. The tagnovel concept is an attempt to deal with the idea of the world divided in categories, as well as people, relations, social interaction, personal actions and decisions and identity.
The therefore carries originality, and the interplay of structure and content is very present: as well as the reading structure, the narrative explores these concepts of categorization, territories and social practices that are ultimately analogic to our activity on the computer.
In the artwork, the story presents three characters, allegedly two men (XY and XY2) and a woman (XX). In the
homepage, the reader finds a single punchline: “XY2: You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to”. The main theme is the relationship of a couple and the importance the woman gives to her career. The reader is presented to a progression on their relationship (from acquaintances, to
love, sex, family) and the conflict that comes along.

Sergio Tavares
29 May 2009
Metadata
Variant History
outside link
2009
Sergio Tavares