The Interface as Artwork: Creating Interactive Installations Based on Encounter and Somatic Experience

Resumo

This media-rich article emphasises the role of the body in aesthetic experience, using a related conceptual framework to explore interfaces in digital art. We introduce two interactive installations, ON/CONTACT and EN/GLOBE, which invite audiences to experience the interface as a site of encounter. To frame the concept of the interface as a device that transcends functional control, we draw on the theoretical work of David Rokeby, a contemporary Canadian artist. In doing so, we demonstrate how our multimodal installations – which engage vision, audition and haptics – encourage participants to interact and express themselves, highlighting the interface’s potential as an agent of exploration rather than mere functional subordination.