Objective meaning: Presentation mediation in an interactive installation

We explore the presentation technique of visual abstraction as a form of mediation to manage content generated by the public in order to maintain a respectful discourse. We identify technological and social mediation as two dimensions within the space of content mediation, and discuss different solutions based on related work in public interactive displays and art installations. We further discuss a novel approach to technological mediation by describing our interactive artwork Objective Meaning – an installation that invites the audience to express themselves through anonymous text messages. The design of this system mediates discourse by visually abstracting the presentation of messages on a display by breaking messages apart into decontextualized words. We briefly discuss the public response during a one-month deployment of the installation in a library setting.