Abstract

Full Paper. Session: Humans and NonHumans / Sonic and Audiovisual Interfaces

Keywords: Tangible Interaction, Tangible User Interface, Digital Live Audiovisual Arts, User Experience, Human-Computer Interaction

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.

• Marie-Eve Bilodeau recently completed her master’s degree in electrical engineering at École de Technologie Supérieure in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Her research focuses on human-computer interaction and the design of tangible interfaces for the field of audiovisual arts. She holds a technical degree in audiovisual electronics and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Marie-Eve has worked in the field of media, audiovisual and interactive arts. She previously worked as an FPGA Designer at Grass Valley and as a Systems Designer at Thinkwell Studio Montreal. Marie-Eve is a Manager on the board of the SMPTE Montréal/Québec Section.
• Ghyslain Gagnon (Member, IEEE) received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada, in 2008. He is currently a Full Professor and the Dean of Research with the École de Technologie Supérieure, Université du Québec, Montréal, Canada. His research interests include CMOS IC design, digital signal processing, and machine learning with various applications. Dr. Gagnon was also the Director of the LACIME Research Laboratory (2013–2020), a group of 15 professors and 150 highly dedicated students and researchers in microelectronics, digital signal processing, and wireless communications. He is highly inclined toward collaborative research with industry and was awarded the 2020 partnership and innovation award from ADRIQ.
• Yan Breuleux is a professor at the NAD (École des arts numériques, de l’animation et du design in Montréal). He graduated with a Bachelor of Visual Arts and a Master of Industrial Design (M.Sc.A) and a doctorate in composition in the Faculty of Music at the University of Montreal. He’s also a researcher and practitioner in the field of visual music for immersive display. His most recent achievements are exploring immersive storytelling with the projects Illumination Frankenstein (2018) Enigma (2017-21), Les Planètes (2018), Re-Génération (2015), Nuée | Swarm (2015), Engima (2015), VjGraph (2014). For twenty years he has collaborated with musicians and composers to create multi-screen, panoramic, and fulldome pieces. His works with the composeur Alain Thibault have been broadcast at recognized intertational digital art festivals like ISEA, Ars Electronica, Transmediale, Scopitone and Nemo.