Entropy in Real Time Systems

The term “real-time system” appeared in the 1960’s with the development of Unix type operating systems. The definitive aspect of these systems was, they were made out of software and hardware that are connected to each other and work together through constant real-time data transfer. In his 1969 paper “Real Time Systems”, Jack Burnham creates a metaphorical connection between the art system that occurred contemporary at that time and this software system architecture. He states that “Real-time information processing mode is rapidly becoming a routine style of handling information.” in art.

A difference between software systems and art is the definition of efficiency. Looking at the text, one would think that efficiency can be defined as the magnitude of the effect made in the process of turning “data” into “information”. For example he says, “Plagiarism of existing information has lower impact in the system”. From a modernist point of view, this data - information dualism would be meaningful. But in contrast to software development, in art, miscalculations during the processes can lead to different courses and therefore different kinds of new information making processes in art. This can also be related to the order, or the “entropy” in the system.

Coming from its definition in physics, the software development term “low system entropy” can be defined as the lack of order in a system. There are multiple reasons that lead to the increase in entropy, therefore the disorder in a real-time system. When the entropy in the art scene decreases, the potential of it to create new meanings can also increase. This forms a characteristic of postmodern literature.

David Harvey explains post-structuralism (or deconstructivism) with these words: “Postmodernists tend to accept, also, a rather different theory (than modernism) as to what language and communication are all about. … Whatever we write conveys meanings we do not or could not possibly intend, and our words cannot say what we mean.”

This point of view makes us question the data - information dualism that Burnham suggests. Because this way the quality of the transformation of one to another can not be measured. Even though it gives an important role to other institutions (or modules of the system such as galleries, museums, art critics, magazines) that creates information and removes the hierarchy against the artist and the art object, the importance of the viewer can be observed to be left out.