A vibrant evolution: From wearable devices to objects as mediators of experience

Abstract

This article envisages objects and materials in terms of actants (entities that have the ability to modify other entities). Things are temporary assemblages of vibrant matter in emergent systems. In the context of human computer interaction, a flat ontology enables a discussion of 'counter-consciousness' where a traditional interface 'user' is better described as a 'co-producer' and, further, materials and objects are crafted with an appreciation of their life beyond the conscious realm of the human perspective. Proposing tactics that engage with physical and electronic realms, this article promulgates vibrant matter as artistic media to sculpt creative experiences. We are glimpsing the periphery of a paradigm shift in our understanding of the world, in ways that are no longer static but dynamic, where change is ubiquitous but never predetermined. Wearable tangible interfaces are central to the shift that will profoundly affect the way we interact in societies of the future. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.