Melinda Rackham and Damien Everett's "Carrier" is... creepy. The work is entirely interactive and very lo-fi. The piece attempts to personify the hepatitis C virus and bring a face to it.
It's simple and grimy approach gives an appropriately disgusting spin on a very horrible disease. The entire piece plays under a moody, wallowing soundtrack -- once again giving further emphasis the caustic disease.
Beyond the grungy aesthetic however, the piece becomes even more disturbing through its interactivity. Early on, the virus asks for your name. After that point, it will address you by name and ask you to chose your next step. These choices are engrossing and enhance the viewer's experience.
I'd say that I enjoyed the work but why? These new pieces with their radically different styles and approaches are not easily measured with the metrics of static literature. One basic measurement that does not change, however, is wether or not it affects the reader. If it leaves any sort of (positive) lasting impression, I'd say its job is done.
In this case, it's been done well.
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