In this paper, Eduardo Kac discusses telepresence as an innovative and unique kind of communicative experience that raises questions about and opens up the possibility of the form of art. Telepresence is different from traditional means of communication, such as mass media, which is unidirectional. It creates a new kind of interaction where there is a reciprocal dialogue between the participants and the information.

As physical interaction has been incredibly confined, telepresence offers a new form of interaction and communication. According to the paper, the communication environment allowed by telepresence art mitigates the polarizing categories of “transmitter” and “sender.” This fact differentiates telepresence from mass media, which simply offers information. Telepresence’s real-time visual and audio exchange extends the space beyond and eliminates distance as a limitation. People get to decide what they experience and are also affected by it. In other words, it allows us to be both absent and present at the same time.

And this idea fascinates me because “being present” has been an ongoing discussion as we are getting through this pandemic’s challenging time. Nowadays, the screens function like teleports that bring people almost anywhere. As we rely on the remote working and living environment more than ever, we might even raise the question of what is irreplaceable about being physically present? For example, In “Ornitorrinco” by Kac, the 2 feet high robot brings a unique perception of the space, which is different from views at the human eye level. As an art form, telepresence art does not only replicate the objective real-time scenario; it also has the potential of shaping novel subjective experiences via various kinds of mediums. Therefore, as Kac mentioned in the paper, people’s actual space through telepresence is “vicariously multiplied.”