The Illusion of the Audience

The audience's experience of a work of art is, in the most part, dependent on what they bring with them and what they understand about the work. There are, however other factors to consider, for instance, the artist's intentions and how the work has been hung or positioned within the physicality of the museum or gallery. Together these all function as deciphers towards this experience and ultimately some kind of understanding. There exists a distance between the work and the viewer and within this distance the interpretation of the work exists. This distance allows for thought, procrastination, misunderstanding and perhaps hope. Recently though this critical space has begun to be questioned, its boundaries are now being blurred, and it's not just the artists that are instituting this change, I believe the viewers are becoming equally complicit. What has caused this preoccupation with the viewer, the work of art and the space? I believe that it has to do with the term participation.