[“… the initiative launched by new museums where the aim is not to stand in front of the pictures, but stand in the pictures – in the virtual reality of Déjeuner sur l’herbe, for example – which they can in this way enjoy in real time, possibly even interacting with the work and the figures in it.” –Jean Baudrillard]
The public was invited to visit with the people in Manet’s famous painting. At first, one heard only standard recordings as in a wax museum, but then the technology improved and the subjects really did respond. Unexpectedly, they began asking us for help. “Get me out of this place!” the wan young man with the beard exclaimed, “I long to be three-dimensional. And that terrorist-looking man who’s been pointing a finger at me for 85 years, what’s he really up to?” For my part I had more to worry about than responding to his piteous plea. He was just a painted figure, after all. But me, why am I naked?
<END>
If you liked this post, please tell your friends and share a comment in StumbleUpon. Subscriptions to A Memorable Fancy are available on Amazon. (www.bit.ly/Fancies), or just Follow this site.
See www.terencekuch.net for a profile of the author, publications, reviews, etc.
Terence Kuch’s speculative fiction novels * may be purchased directly from the publishers or via his Amazon author page, www.amazon.com/author/terencekuch
*The Seventh Effect: a thriller from Melange Publications about a new kind of bioterrorist plot against the USA; praised by Kirkus Reviews.
*See/Saw: a literary adventure from Ink Smith Publications about implanting memories, and a murder.
Memorable Fancies 
Leave a Reply