The late 20th century was a formative phase in the history of digital media culture. The introduction of "new media" was associated with promises for the future that still resonate today. This book brings together contributions that discuss key aspects of the "imaginaries" surrounding new media in this epoch. The focus is on the works of the media artist group Van Gogh-TV, especially the historically very important interactive television project "Piazza virtuale" (1992).

PD Dr. Christoph Ernst is Research Assistant at the University of Bonn.Prof. Dr. Jens Schröter is Professor of Media Studies at the University of Bonn.

Introduction.- Past and present metaphors of interaction and virtuality.- The Promise of the Promise The Dynamic Medium Group in Oakland, California.- Imagination via Demonstration Performing Interactive Television and the Case of Piazza virtuale (1992).- Televisionen / Television / Televisuality / Televirtuality. Imaginary of TV in the 1980s and 1990s.- Deconstructing Cyberpunk Worlds Technodystopian Imaginaries in the Storyworld of Gibsons Neuromancer.- Piazza virtuale  The Public Sphere and its Expansion Beyond the Physical.- Reimagining Piazza virtuale  A conversation with Van Gogh-TV.