NUAGE: A digital live audiovisual arts tangible interface

This paper presents a literature review rooted in Human-Computer Interaction research as the methodological basis for the proposal of a tangible interface called NUAGE. It is aimed at artists, performers and designers in the research field of Digital Live Audiovisual Arts.

Audiovisual performance combines musical and video arts together in a live artistic context. Tools to create such performances are often only software and do not provide the artists a wide range of interaction possibilities. A show where the performer’s actions are hidden behind his/her computer screen can be visually less interesting. To provide guidance to designers and help them branch out from the traditional graphical user interfaces, we propose a different and structured design approach, Digital Live Audiovisual Arts, that builds upon Tangible Interaction concepts. We map Digital Live Audiovisual Arts by investigating its distinctive design intentions (expressiveness, performativity, participation, aesthetics and engagement) and proposing interface types taxonomy. To implement and validate this novel methodology, we developed NUAGE, an original performative interface. We thus bring together different perspectives on understanding Human-Computer Interaction and set a platform for future research on artistic tangible systems.