Letters

Anna Styrczula

Abstract

Our lives are increasingly lived online, including our relationships. Much of our communication is now typed rather than handwritten or spoken. Instead of immediately critiquing this new reality, I wanted to explore the complex and often surreal nature of digital, long distance, or writing-based relationships. “Letters” is an interactive art piece website that combines choose-your-own-adventure games and the surrealist exercise of echo poetry to express those very ideas. On the “Letters” website, users choose from different words to help the website “write” a poem. Their choices determine the resulting written and visual piece. In the end, “Letters” exemplifies the internet’s potential as a medium for creation, collaborative storytelling, and art while also pointing out its transformative and sometimes negative effect on relationships.