Art hacks and mash-up play: introducing BitFlows

Abstract

A new software tool called BitFlows has been developed to support creativity, collaboration, performance and innovation in New Media. New Media practitioners already have a diverse range of tools at their disposal. This range of tools is constantly growing fueled by hardware and software hacks, which allow individuals to creatively use and abuse consumer products in ways not intended by their original creators. Software such as Ableton Live, MaxiMSP and VVVV give creators the ability to perform and demonstrate works in a live setting. Influenced by Csikszentmihalyi's concept of Flow in creative work (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996) and Shneiderman's suggestion that creativity can be aided by smoother flow between applications (Shneiderman, 2000a), BitFlows provides a simple means for users to mash-up the data-flows from all of these diverse pieces of hardware and software, over the network, in single or collaborative settings.