Puppet Motel by Laurie Anderson

This “really significant work” in the rise of digital mass media art according to Casey Reas, Puppet Motel is an enigmatic CD-ROM by Laurie Anderson, designed with Hsin-Chien Huang and released on Voyager. With a blend of multimedia elements, including spoken word, video, music and computer graphics, Anderson crafts an immersive game-like experience that explores themes such as technology’s impact on time memory and human connection. Set within a series of interconnected scenes, the art-game invites participant-players to navigate through haunting environments, from monolithic rooms to surreal landscapes, each filled with snippets of art and conversation. Anderson’s distinctive voice echoes throughout, guiding players through the multimedia labyrinth. Back in 1995, Puppet Motel was posing poignant questions about the digital age, juxtaposing abstract spaces with tangible objects to evoke a sense of disconnection and longing for human connection. It’s Despite its complexity and darkness, the game maintains a playful spirit, inviting players to explore its depths and uncover its layers of meaning. Puppet Motel stands as a testament to Anderson’s approach to interactive art with the most cutting-edge technology of the time, the clunky CD-ROM, challenging players to confront the realities of existence in a continually digitizing world.