• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.723-733
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• 2011

In contemporary art, the process of appreciating art works requires the dichotomy between traditional art and New Media Art. This difference can be witnessed in the contrasting ways of appreciating art works; in traditional art, a certain physical and esthetic distance is placed between viewers and works of art, and in New Media Art, art is appreciated by active involvement and communication. In other words, this disparity is based on whether viewers physically involve themselves in the completion of the art works. Perhaps contemporary art can be better understood and appreciated if a single primary keyword takes the center place of art appreciation rather than allowing the dichotomy. Thus, a new approach is welcome, where art appreciation is not adversely affected through such divided means based on the degree of active participation. This is not some new introduction of jargon but the reinterpretation of contemplation, the key word for art appreciation in the past, as the common key word for both conventional art and New Media Art.