“With Action>Reaction, I playfully invert the relationship between myself as an artist, and the visitor,” Veenhuis explains. “This inversion is a result of the commission itself, which stated that the piece had to incorporate an interactive element. I thought of this stipulation as being quite challenging, initially, as art is interactive by its very nature. Eventually, I formed the idea to use an onandoff switch. As a symbol for interaction. By removing the reference of these switches to turning the function of a device either on or off, as is usual, the switches suddenly refer only to their own inherent function. In a sense, they do not switch anything on or off other than them selves. And through that choice, the inversion of ‘creator’ and ‘beholder’ was established in one simple movement. That idea made me very enthusiastic.”
The concept of Action>Reaction is to allow visitors to control a series of on-and-off switches. Their actions cause particular light patterns to appear, changing shape with each and every decision they make. You never know what’s going to happen. This way, one can not only create their own artwork, but also alter that of another.
Although Veenhuis knows exactly how the interactive piece itself should perform, he is more cautious when it comes to reactions of the public. What does he hope to achieve? Is it his intention to provoke certain thoughts in the minds of the public? To learn how to play?
“I have no expectations of what the public will do, the piece can have a multitude of meanings within its form and context. I would have no problem seeing it being.
used as a playful attraction, as this outcome is inherent to a commission for an interactive installation. But to me personally, the work does deal with a certain subject matter. To me, the work symbolizes our increasing ‘ondemand’ culture, in which we take for granted the fact that we always have everything available to us. As such, Action>Reaction is a concrete, and literally tangible, reflection of the dominant mechanism which prescribes that everything we could wish for is made available at the simple touch of a button.” [2]
