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

TL;DR

This paper probes embodied interaction in interactive art, proposing a new three-dimensional model that anchors body embodiment, audience-artwork interaction, and somaesthetics. It applies the model to 49 Prix Ars Electronica award artworks from 2009–2023 to reveal patterns and gaps, notably the under-exploration of somaesthetic modalities and virtual embodiment in sociocultural settings. The findings suggest a shift from strictly human–artwork interactivity toward relational, interpersonal engagement, while stressing the continued importance of concept and sociopolitical context. The work advances a framework for future research and artistic practice, advocating a dual emphasis on medium-specific experimentation and concept-driven inquiry to broaden embodied interactivity in contemporary art.

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.

Figures (21)

• Figure 1: "Body Embodiment Dimension" comprises two subcategories: Phenomenal Body and Sociocultural Body, further divided into five options. Recognizing that interactive art is inherently technology-mediated, the Phenomenal Body (PB) is not viable. The subcategory based on the Phenomenal Body includes the Techno Phenomenal Body and Virtual Body. The sociocultural subcategory features Techno Sociocultural Body, Virtual Sociocultural Body, and Hybrid Sociocultural Body.
• Figure 2: Audience-artwork interaction model distinguishing "what the audience does" and "what the audience perceives" as "Send" and "Receive" from the audience's perspective and their bodily experience.
• Figure 3: "Somaesthetic" with two primary subcategories: Exteroception and Proprioception. This review does not cover Interoception and Affect. Exteroception encompasses the traditional five senses along with three additional exteroceptive sensations. Proprioception is divided into three distinct aspects. Altogether, eleven options are explored within this dimension, but Olfactory (OL) and Gustative (GU) are not found in our search.
• Figure 4: The three dimensions of our descriptive model of interactive art from the embodied perspective.
• Figure 5: Visualization of our three-dimensional descriptive model.