Artistic media seem to be – more than ever – in a permanent condition of mutation. Mutation is a term borrowed from molecular biology and genetic science referring to the permanent change in the DNA sequence of a gene. Mutations in a gene's DNA structure not only alter the connectivity within the DNA sequence but might also change a protein produced by a gene. In much the same way, we inhabit an ever-mutating media landscape where once separate media levels are interconnecting in novel configurations and where different media devices and forms shape-shift in a most surprising way. Take the example of the applause, one of the devices that ‘belong’ to the live performing arts. The act of clapping is an expression of approval or admiration towards live performers. However, we found ourselves applauding before a machine in Kris Verdonck's Actor #1 (2010). It is obvious that Verdonck's creations are situated in the transit zone between visual arts and theatre, between installations and performance, dance and architecture. This not only affects the mutual relation between these media but also our attitude towards their mutating devices and forms. Have you ever found yourself applauding in a museum, before a ‘dead’ painting? Did you ever wonder why (not)?

The rise of mutating media is an evident consequence of the fact that artists have been searching for innovation and controversy throughout the twentieth century. The avantgarde idea that started as a revolt against the long-established traditions and prevailing institutional codes also entailed a radical deconstruction of the supposedly separate media levels. Artists challenged one another to combine daily life with tradition or to mix artistic and popular media. The boom of multimedia (combining and crossing over into various media) not only liberated art from its canonical disciplines, it also turned it into a vast diversity of experiments. Concurrently, technological revolutions brought about a re-enactment of old media like film and theatre, as well as a sweeping influx of new media.

Thanks to these transformations, artists now have an extensive set of instruments at their disposal.