Inflation of Interactivity? Analyzing and Understanding Embodied Interaction in Interactive Art through a New Three-dimensional Model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new three-dimensional model to analyze embodied interaction in interactive art, revealing under-explored areas like virtual embodiment and emphasizing the need for a paradigm shift in research and practice.

Contribution

It proposes a novel three-dimensional descriptive model for interactive art based on literature and applies it to analyze award-winning artworks, uncovering new insights into embodied interaction.

Findings

Embodied interaction is under-explored in interactive art.

Virtual embodiment within immersive technologies is a significant research gap.

A paradigm shift is needed to revisit sociological and etymological roots of interaction.

Abstract

This insight paper examines embodied interaction in interactive art, focusing on body embodiment, bodily sensation (i.e., somaesthetic), and audience-artwork interaction. The authors propose a new three-dimensional descriptive model of interactive art based on literature and apply to analyze a curated corpus of 49 award-winning artworks from the Prix Ars Electronica between 2009 and 2023. The analysis reveals emergent patterns of interactive art that deepen the understanding of interactive art from an embodied perspective and prepare the ground for future research and art practices. This paper has discovered that embodied interaction remains under-explored in interactive art rather than an inflation of interactivity. Notable research gaps persist in exploring virtual embodiment within sociocultural contexts using immersive technologies. Furthermore, it also underscores the need to revisit the sociological and etymological roots of interaction to enhance interpersonality and relationality and advocates for a paradigm shift in future research and practice in interactive art.