Performative Interaction

Problem description

Explorations of Performative interaction are informed by anthropological studies of performance to improve the expressive and experiential character of embodied interaction beyond the mobile and desktop GUIs. Mixed reality and multimodal interfaces support and recognize expressive acts by providing resources for creativity in design practices and social interaction.

There is room for improving the experiential and expressive character of interaction beyond the current GUIs on mobile and desktop computers. Inspired by anthropological studies of performance (Victor Turner, Eugenio Barba, John Dewey) we aim at Performative Interaction that we define as being characterized by simultaneously considering embodied expressivity and sensory experience. This body of work brings us to consider individuality and collective emergence of expression and the diachronic and event-like character. From this perspective, interaction is a part of expressive and experiential events aimed at generating new insights for participants and privileging sense experience. Mixed reality and multimodal interfaces open the possibility for interaction to be expressive also towards co-present participants and to include more of sensory experience: by combining digital information with material features and by supporting physical movements and expressive acts.

A user creating collages of manipulating physical blocks

Research questions

1) Interfaces that support performative interaction take into account also expressive action towards co-present participants.

• How can application better support expressivity and what new applications can be generated if expressive acts can be recognized?
• How does the nature of interaction and cooperation change when the action of the user is not solely directed towards the system but is expressive towards other participants?

2) Performative interaction can blur the distinction of content and interface as the interaction adds and conveys meaning. For example, user's actions and activated media are part of the same performance.

• How can computation support content and meaning assembled real-time during interaction?

3) Performative interaction may consist of bodily movements, gestures, material features and use simultaneously and thus address different modalities with increased sense experience and tacit knowledge.

• What are determinants of interface features that are able to render interaction more experiential than in more traditional interfaces?
• What is the potential impact to memory, learning and creativity?

4) Mixed reality creates a fictional stage where more actions become possible and understandable.

• What is the role of mixed reality environments for imagination?
• How do users make their actions accountable in Mixed reality?

Application areas

Group's current application areas include everyday communication, art and entertainment, and design. Performative interaction is designed for applications used for architecture design and urban renewal, social interaction in public spaces and large scale events.

Projects

The track is advanced in IPCity and Callas-projects.

Publications

Jacucci, G., Interaction as Performance. Cases of configuring physical interfaces in mixed media. Doctoral Thesis, University of Oulu, Acta Universitatis Ouluensis. 2004.

Jacucci, G., Wagner, I. (2005) Performative Uses of Space in Mixed Media Environments. In: Davenport, E., Turner P., Spaces, Spatiality and Technologies, Springer, London, 2005.