ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Joanna Berzowska

Personal technologies: memory and intimacy through physicalcomputing

Received: 1 December 2004 / Accepted: 23 August 2005 / Published online: 12 August 2006 Springer-Verlag London Limited 2006

Abstract In this paper, I present an overview of personal and intimate tech-nologies within a pedagogical context. I describe two courses that I havedeveloped for Computation Arts at Concordia University: Tangible Media andPhysical Computing and Second Skin and Soft Wear. Each course deals withdierent aspects of physical computing and tangible media in a Fine Artscontext. In both courses, I introduce concepts of soft computation and intimatereactive artifacts as artworks. I emphasize the concept of memory (contrastingcomputer memory and personal, interpretive memory), and explore howresponsive or interactive objects can create a new medium for annotatingarchitectural space and objects, for leaving traces of presence, and for recordingpersonal histories. At the core of this pedagogical practice is a strong emphasison engaging a vulnerable, personal approach to working with electronics andphysical computation. To contextualize the teaching practice, I begin by pre-senting some of my own research projects developed at Extra Soft Labs (alsoknown as XS Labs), then segue into a detailed discussion of these two classes,and conclude with a discussion of some student work.

Keywords Tangible computing Soft interface Interactive art Education

XS Labs: wearables as intimate technologies

My research at XS Labs (http://www.xslabs.net) focuses on the developmentand design of electronic textiles,1 responsive clothing, wearable technologies,

J. BerzowskaDesign and Computation Arts, Concordia University,EV 06-743, 1455 Maisonneuve W., Montreal, QCH3G 1M8, USAE-mail: joey@berzowska.com Tel.: +1-514-8482424 Fax: +1-617-40715741The term electronic textiles usually refers to a textile substrate that incorporates capabilities forsensing (biometric or external), for communication (usually wireless), power transmission, orinterconnection technology to allow sensors or things such as information processing devices tobe networked together within a fabric. In my work, I try to stay quite close to the history andthe reality of bers and textiles. I work with traditional textile techniques and technologies suchas weaving, knitting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, etc. to create textiles that can sense, transmitpower or data, and change state (such as the electric plaid technology for addressable color-change fabrics I developed at IFM).

AI & Soc (2006) 20: 446461DOI 10.1007/s00146-006-0033-x

reactive materials, and squishy interfaces. My research group develops projectsthat focus on play, esthetics, and personal expression in a social and culturalcontext, as opposed to the prevalent utilitarian focus of wearable technologydesign on universal connectivity and productivity applications. We are partic-ularly concerned with the exploration of simple interactions that emphasizenatural expressive qualities of electronic circuits and of the body. One appli-cation of reactive fashion is to enable the idea of changing our skin, our identity,and our cultural context.As a designer and inventor of electronic textiles and wearable technologies, I

often ask myself: why do we want our garments to be smart? What kind offunctionality or augmentation do we want to deploy on our bodies? From myperspective, many contemporary research directions are misguided. The clothingand electronic industries are looking for the killer application, the next big thingthat will introduce wearable computing to a mass market. Their exclusive focuson health monitoring and surveillance technologies clearly reects the (militaryand pharmaceutical) funding structures and fails to deliver appealing productideas that respond to personal, social, and cultural needs. In my opinion, thekiller app for wearable computing is to convey personal identity information(Berzowska 2004).At XS Labs, we focus on the intimacy of textiles, their close proximity to the

body, and their potential playful uses as disguise, vehicles of personal expres-sion, and means of experimentation. We develop wearable technologies thatchallenge social structures and assumptions in relation to embodied interaction(or concepts of knowledge). We design second skins that can adapt to theenvironment and to the wearers, can express aspects of their personalities, theirneeds and their desires, and represent aggregate social information.

XS Labs: Memory Rich Clothing and SoundSleeves

Memory Rich Clothing is an ongoing XS Labs project that focuses on the re-search and development of reactive garments that display their physical mem-ory, or history of use. We employ a variety of simple input and outputmethodologies to sense and display traces of physical memory on clothing. Ourprimary objective is to produce costumes that can sense and display personalmemory data such as where and when they have last been touched, includingsubtle evidence of intimate contact (Berzowska 2005a) (Figs. 1, 2).

Intimate memory garments record acts of physical intimacy and indicate timeelapsed since the intimacy events have occurred. The XS Labs intimatememory skirt incorporates soft switches (the simplest of touch sensors) into itsdesign. These switches are sewn out of metallic silk organza, and connected to asmall analog circuit. When the skirt is groped in the appropriate areas, illumi-nating components display both the intensity and the duration of the intimacyevent. In a similar fashion to how our skin registers touch, the illuminationdisplays traces of this physical memory and fades over time to indicate timeelapsed since the event (Fig. 3).The XS Labs intimate memory shirt is embedded with a sensitive microphone in

the collar and a series of illuminating elements that follow a curved line across thefront. The number of lights represents the intensity of the intimacy event, similar

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to the volume indicator on a stereo. Over time, the lights progressively turn o,one by one, to show how long it has been since the intimacy event took place.The intimate memory series reveals ways in which our actions and our personal

histories can be recorded, stored, and displayed. It highlights aspects of sur-veillance that we are often happy to forget when dealing with more conventionalwearable technologies. We want to question how objects can have memory.How are objects altered through interaction? What kind of interactions will benecessary to give physical memory to a wearable object? What is the dierencebetween passive and active interaction (manipulation vs. sensing)? How can theemotional content of memories be displayed? The longer term objectives are todevelop an extensive body of technical and conceptual prototypes that explorehow physical memory can be communicated through our clothing (Fig. 4).The SoundSleeves project deploys the sleeve as a musical instrument. By

extending the body, we increase the consciousness of the body as an entity in

Fig. 1 Three dancers wearing the spotty dresses, touching each other to make their camouagedisappear

Fig. 2 Mapping out intimacy zones on the body with the feathery touch memory dresses

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space and augment body movement with simple sound. The sleeves give addi-tional meaning to body movements and act as a tool that enhances the armscapabilities. The sleeves become an instrument that invites play (Berzowska2004) (Fig. 5).The electronic circuit in the sleeves was constructed entirely of metallic silk

organza and conductive yarn. The only hard components are two small speakersaxed at the end of the sleeves and a tiny PIC microcontroller attached to theconductive yarns to generate the sounds. We built a large sensor array out ofsoft switches, using small building blocks to create a larger sensing unit (Ber-zowska 2004).

Pedagogical context: personal technologies

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes that physical artifacts help us objectify the selfin three ways. They can be viewed as symbols of personal power, symbols of the

Fig. 3 Intimate memory shirt shows the time elapsed since the intimacy event occurred, byturning o LEDs one by one

Fig. 4 The SoundSleeves

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continuity of the self through time (involvement in the present, mementos of thepast, and signposts to the future), and symbols of the permanence of relation-ships that dene the individual in a social framework (Csikszentmihalyi 1993).The computing and communication capabilities we integrate into physical ob-jects are rapidly increasing, but do not necessarily translate into rich inter-actions. As thinkers and designers, it is imperative to ensure that the interactionsbetween people, computers, and the physical environment are useful, enjoyable,and most importantly, meaningful (Berzowska 2005b).There has been a proliferation in the past few years of accessible microcon-

trollers and hardware prototyping environments, but it is still rare to nd artists/designers who create their hardware or software from scratch, as was expectedof me when I was a graduate student at the MIT Media Laboratory. The MITapproach placed strong emphasis on technological innovation. As can be ex-pected, this often compromised the esthetic or conceptual aspects of our work.The interesting thing is that nobody talked of art in the Media Lab. Theclosest word we were allowed to use was expression. This is one of the reasonsmy thesis work was called computational expressionism.In developing my classes at Concordia University, I emphasize a personal and

intimate perspective when using electronics, whether analog circuits or micro-controllers. Self-referential, playful, idiosyncratic, vulnerable, and experimentalapproaches are encouraged in order to potentially mitigate the prevalent sepa-ration of subjective content from technologically demanding artwork. Gradingincorporates student evaluations; and a respectful and empathetic yet rigorousattitude is mandatory.

Computation Arts at Concordia University

The Computation Arts program at Concordia University (formerly calledDISFA: Digital Image/Sound and the Fine Arts) was initiated in 1997 toincorporate computer science and ne arts curriculum at the undergraduatelevel. This 3-year program guides students in developing critical paths at the

Fig. 5 Textile electrodes and soft electronics in the SoundSleeves

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intersections of art, technology and design. It highlights the study of theoreticalissues related to technological innovation such as computational art, interactiondesign, and physical computing. Teaching emphasizes nontraditional applica-tions of digital technologies while also developing awareness of the social andpolitical implications of new technologies and a conceptual approach to designrelated to the social, cultural, and ethical context in which it resides.

Concordia University: Tangible Media and PhysicalComputing

This studio course explores the concepts of Tangible Media and PhysicalComputation as well as related concepts of ubiquitous computing, wearablecomputing, and interaction design. We study and implement physical compu-tation artifacts and interfaces from esthetic, technical, social, theoretical, andpolitical perspectives.The technical focus of this class is on soft computing (conductive cloth,

conductive yarns, conductive epoxy, etc. plus some hard component) to con-struct simple interactive or reactive artifacts. We discuss simple circuit design asa medium akin to wood or paper and experiment with materials that can enablesimple expressive computational forms. There is a strong focus on unusualmaterials and processes. At the same time, students work with microcontrollersand various sensors/outputs as well as simple analog circuits.In addition to the weekly exercises, readings, and discussions, we complete

two major projects. One concentrates on interface design for memory, calledMemory-Rich Artifacts: Interactive Objects with Physical Memory, the otheron meaningful interactions for the human body, called Interactive Technolo-gies and the Body.

Tangible Media and Physical Computing Project 1:Memory-Rich Artifacts

The brief for Memory-Rich Artifacts is to design and build an artifact thatrecords, stores, and communicates information to another human/animal/object. The communication can happen over space or over time. We considerconcepts such as health monitoring, mood monitoring, physical diaries, traces ofpresence (history), and remote presence (communication). By physical mem-ory, we mean that the object will retain some traces of presence of a person,through the ability to sense the user and record a history of interaction that canbe communicated to another. The object will be aected in some way that willcreate a physical memory, which will then be recorded and transmitted.I have been concerned with the question of memory in my own work for quite

some time (Berzowska 2005a). The term memory industry is increasinglybeing used in the media to describe western societys growing interest in variousgadgets that help us save, record, and commit to computerized memory all ofthe things that we otherwise might forget, such as appointments, commitments,and other important life details. The more traditional research in memorytechnology deals with memory under a framework of eciency, productivity,

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and physical enhancement. The memory industry deals with memory in a veryobjective and impersonal way. Sensors, photos, and video register memory asevents in time instead of interpretive experience (Berzowska 2005a).In giving this project brief, I underline the fact that insights into our social

obsession with eciency need to be contrasted with memory-rich artifacts thatdefy this dominant paradigm and deal with memory and interpersonal contactsin an aware relation to the body. I also emphasize the fact that many people donot see/consider/underline the issues of surveillance and loss of privacy implicitin the deployment of memory technologies.I introduce questions that are central to my own research: how an object can

have memory, how an object can be altered through interaction, and what kindof interactions are necessary to give physical memory to an object. We discussthe dierence between passive and active interaction (manipulation vs. sensing).We ask: who is the intended audience? What content/feeling will be communi-cated? What senses engaged? and what forms (words, emotions, sounds, colors,images) utilized?

Tangible Media and Physical Computing Project 2:Interactive Technologies and the Body

The brief of the second project is to design and implement a wearable tech-nology. The aim is to question and explore the idea of augmenting our bodieswith digital technologies. How do we want to extend or alter the body?Wearable technology in the form of clothes is thousands of years old.

Clothing is our personal interface to the world. One application of wearabletechnologies therefore is to enable the idea of changing our skin, our identity,and our social/cultural/economic context. Based on this idea, a prerequisite ofthe project is that it must fulll a genuine need or desire (this can be functionalor expressive, personal, playful, artistic). Another inspiration from fashion isthat idea of context specic and culturally specic design. Electronic technologydesign is one size ts all, embracing a western esthetic of gray/black hardboxes. Clothing design, on the other hand, retains a strong cultural identity. Iencourage students to think of hardware design as culture and context specic.Students are encouraged to think about embodied interactions, to focus on

reducing (instead of increasing) complexity, and to respond to current humanbehavior and limitations. The idea is that we will never be able to replace the fullrange of human expression and interaction. Augmenting our bodies with tech-nologies can lead to loss of accountability and de-skilling. We respond to theclaim that wearable technologies must be playful in order to be meaningful. Weexplore the idea of play either in terms of playing an instrument or in terms ofplayful interaction.

Concordia University: Second Skin and Soft Ware

This studio course explores the idea of skin and soft as terms possessingphysical and associative properties. Concepts of clothing as habitat for the skin,soft wearable tactile computers, sculptural fashion design, and exible intelligent

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furniture/devices are utilized as valuable design principles for motivating andguiding the construction of maquettes and prototypes. Recycling of materialsand alternative material use are emphasized.The focus of the class is on soft computing (conductive cloth, conductive

yarns, conductive epoxy, etc. plus some hard components) to construct simpleinteractive or smart artifacts. We think of simple circuit design as a mediumakin to wood or paper, and seek to experiment with materials that can enablesimple expressive computational forms. We experiment with mixing and ani-mating a diverse variety of analog and digital materials, and consistently aim toredene computation as a design tool.The practice is framed by a discourse which evaluates technology critically as

a contemporary utopian myth that permeates the physical world we live in.Students are encouraged to examine and reect on the futuristic vision thatobjects need to think and communicate with one another. How will thisenrich our lives? How much technology do we want in our physical world? Howmuch embedded electronics can we digest before facing the environmentalconsequences?The tradition of electronics design, materials and manufacturing is to produce

hard components to be cased in square boxes. The tradition of textiles is toproduce soft structures that encase the human body. By merging the two, we cancreate soft circuits and develop new methods for electronics design, for designingswitches, for sensing the body, and for transmitting power and data. I call thissoft computation: the design of digital and electronic technology that iscomposed of soft materials such as textiles and yarns, as well as predicated ontraditional textile construction methods such as sewing and knitting with variousconductive and active materials to create interactive physical designs. It involvesthe use of conductive yarns and fabrics, active materials, and exible sensors toallow the construction of electronic circuits on soft substrates. It implies a moveaway from traditional electronics and an exploration of emergent materials thatcan enable physical computation.This class also includes two major projects, one of which concentrates on

design for physical memory, called Second Skins That Communicate PhysicalMemory. The second project (which I will not discuss any further in this paper)is etitled Second Skins that are Not What They Seem. The brief asks studentsto design and build a personal object that wears an unexpected skin. Things thatare traditionally hard should be soft; things that are traditionally fuzzy shouldsmooth; things that are concrete should be abstract, etc.

Second Skin and Soft Ware Project 1: Second SkinsThat Communicate Physical Memory

The brief is to design and build a second skin that communicates informationto another human, animal, or object. The communication can happen overspace or over time. The second skin is really quite a broad concept: it can includeideas of physical protection (padding, camouage, exo-skeletons), emotionalprotection, costuming, concealment, information display, comfort, decoration,ornamentation, embellishment, beautication, projection (project ones ownimage onto another object), and many more (Lupton 2002).

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The conceptualization phase includes lengthy discussions of materials. Stu-dents talk and write extensively about possible denitions for this second skin.In the following section, I draw from a representative sample of student writingsand thoughts. Sabatino Delli Compagni writes: One is never enough. Why becontent with one when two is always better [...] In the context of second skin itdoesnt literally mean growing another layer of human esh over the existinglayer [but the] items we envelop ourselves in [...] What is the purpose of skinanyway? To protect, to conceal, to provide warmth and nourishment. These areall properties of skin and the second skin is intended to enhance these func-tions.Another student, Jean Michel Gavreau creates a distinction between physical

and virtual second skin. He writes that his physical second skin is composed ofmany products, both tangible and etherealsome can be experienced by oth-ersbut still remaining his own. His clothing, jewelry, functional and protectivelayers, all either promote (through ornamentation and embellishment) or pro-tect his body. He writes that they mediate the exterior worlds perception of therst skin. [...] The second skin wouldnt exist without the rst one. The secondskin is the link and ironically also the frontier between the self and the sur-rounding environmental components... Jean Michel writes about his virtualsecond skin as a sort of invisible bubble that cannot be seen by others, but canbe perceived through social conventions and denitions of personal comfortzones. He talks about the increased individuality in modern society as a result ofthe increase in personal intrusions and disturbance such as advertising.Karie Little talks more specically about a second skin as decoration and

discusses the possibilities of semi-permanent tattoos, so as to enable people toconstantly redesign their bodies as they themselves change and evolve. Shewrites: Another way to apply tattoos as a second skin would be like adding abadge to a uniform. Each year a new tattoo would be added to your body,illustrating dierent stages and/or the history of your life. After discussion inclass, Karie re-evaluates her original thoughts and starts writing about secondskins as embodying emotions, personality, something intangible that can beexperienced through the senses, through life, and through memory. She writes:Last week one of my classmates discussed personal space as a second skin. Irealized a second skin isnt necessarily something we can see, however, itscertainly something we can feel. [...] Our life experience creates a skin, thus pastexperiences or memories are an old skin. By triggering memories we are able toslip into the old skin for a brief moment. When we experience strong feelings ourwhole body feels it. Perhaps as a shiver, a tingle, a hot ash, a cold spell andsuch. Do these feelings not represent in some way a second skin?Student projects evolve from these discussions, and examine electronics and

other digital technologies as personal and intimate materials.

Illustrative student projects: a compendiumof second skin

In this section I detail several illustrative student projects that are exemplary atutilizing relatively simple technologies in provocative, creative, and iconoclasticways.

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A lucid, whimsical, and playful example of a students creative use of tech-nology in examining serious personal issues is Its a Sin! by Christine Caruso: aseries of confessional objects that, when manipulated, serve as a quick release forguilty secrets. She writes Think about the relationship you have with yourtoothbrush, your remote control, your cell phone. You probably spend yourmost vulnerable moments under their gaze. The concept of confessionals isspooky. People develop an intimacy with a veiled window. Confessionals makepeople vulnerablewhat Im most concerned with is the physical act of con-fessing, letting it out of your body voluntarily, equally signicant by speech ortouch. In this case, the pressing of a button on a common household object willindicate a confession and a red light will show acknowledgment of the secret sin.[...] Sight and touch are engagedtouch is a direct commitment to confessing tothe object. When you press the button on each object, you release your secret: Iam guilty. The result is the red light: redemption.In this example, a direct metaphorical equivalency for a strong social con-

struct (guilt) is imbued with simple technological functionality. An LED be-comes sucient for sublimation. Touch evokes release. The focus of the projectbecomes balanced between implementation and psychological acuity.The Blazer project developed by Vincent Leclerc is a light-emitting bracelet

used to display text in space by moving the part of the bodyor the wholebodywhile wearing it. It integrates light-emitting diodes into fabric within agarment-making context to create a simple emissive display. It uses retinal per-sistence to make sense of an apparently random pattern of ashing lights. Whenthe body is still, we see noise. When the body is in motion, the noise becomes amessage: text is displayed. The body leaves messages, memories in architecturalspace as it moves. The movement of the body annotates the space (Fig. 6).The physical memory accessories by Jean Michel Gavreau are a set of table

mats for tableware and glassware, serving trays, pots and serviettes holders thatrecord and display their own history, the traces of plates, glasses, hands andarms that used them. He used thermo-chromic pigments that change color withchanges in temperature. The various rubbers that he used for his table acces-sories retained heat in dierent ways which allowed for interesting experimen-tation with the duration of the memories. His conceptual framework centeredaround the dining experience as a social and grounding thing. He writesDinners are traditionally the meeting time for the family members, after a dayof work or school. [...] These times are precious to me, to my family and friendsand I want to show it throughout objects. It is important to me to keep inmemory their temporary passage.The Luka Bag by Claire Elissalde is a purse that doubles as a second brain. It

helps you remember the things that you are leaving behind. She writes ... thecommunication happens only between you and the bag, in a subtle fashion. Thebag has four pouches on the inside, each will become home to one essentialobject. [...] Each of these pouches corresponds to a visual component on theexterior surface of the bag. When the object is placed inside the pocket, thisactivates the external visual component, conrming for the user the presence ofthe specic object inside the bag. This allows you to see, upon that momentwhen you are leaving the home, whether or not anything is missing [...] Lukabagis about projecting your own self and your own memory into an object. Theobject becomes a substitute or supplement for your own capabilities. As

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Csikszentmihalyi discusses, an objects power lies partly in its ability to representand extend the self into the environment [......] Lukabag not only communicatesinformation about acts preformed hours before, but also information about actsNOT performed.Madeleine Beaulieus second skin is a silicon corset that would be molded

specically for each owner. It is not a one size ts all, but rather a corset thatremembers your shape and reects it on its outer skin. She writes: By using askin-like material and aesthetic, I also hope to bring awareness to the possibilityof technology using genetically reproduced live skin to create clothes, furnitureor architecture. The corset would be fastened up with fake hair. The aesthetic ofthe corset would be asymmetrical and the attachment system would give theimpression of a reconstructed piece. The gene manipulation and cloning is to mea disturbing reality and Im questioning the future of cloning. I see this secondskin as a celebration of our natural one. The user has to tie and untie the hairlaces when wearing it.

Illustrative student projects: Tangible Media

For the Tangible Media class, Marc DePape created the MND04 (memorysneutral distorter), a digital diary that forgets. Over time the diary distorts and re-evaluates the memories (as human memory does) but from a digitally neutralperspective. Marc writes: A computer can be nothing more than neutral. Thedate to be evaluated is entered one digit dial at a time. The user then inputsthe rating for the day, on a ten light emitting diode (LED) scale. Depending on therating, the diary will randomly distort the memory. Errors like youre missed oryoure forgiven are output to the user to try and encourage the understanding ofmemory as a dynamic, inuential tool to better understand the present self. Marcwrites: And remember, this machine forgets everything so over time the user willhave to re-evaluate everything they put into the machine (Fig. 7).Francis Raymond created an ecology of memory-less objects: In an era where

over-consumption is de rigueur, where every parts of our social and cultural lifeare determined by an ever more economy-centered society, Im wondering why

Fig. 6 The Blazer project

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were surrounding ourselves with so many objects? Do we even realize what wepossess, and why we possess it? He selected several personal objects from hisprivate life, objects that give him pleasure and help dene his identity. Hedeveloped a system through which he can measure how often these objects areused. When objects are not being manipulated (or used) often enough, theyilluminate to remind you of their presence and to ask for your attention.Elana Rudicks Thought Box is an interface for remote communication for

lovers. It incorporates a very elegant combination of digital and analog meth-odology. The lovers must feed the box, by placing physical mementos of eachother (such as letters, photos, or stray hairs) inside the box. Every time the box isopened and its contents taken out to be fondly examined, its remote counterpartilluminates to indicate longing. The digital communication could not existwithout the analog artifacts. Elana writes that the lovers must complete thefollowing tasks:

1. Every week you must feed a memory to the box in order to sustain it.2. When your box is full (use your discretion), you must send its contents to the

second party.

Fig. 7 The MND04

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3. If you come in physical contact with the second party you must empty thecontents of the boxes together and begin the memory collection from scratch.You should keep one old memory and another should be gathered from theday you empty the contents together.

4. In the event that you wish to end your communication with the other partythrough the Thought Box, you must send the box back to the other person(Fig. 8).

Daniel Grigsby and Philip Viel constructed a project based around a verydierent idea of physical memory. They write: Nature grants us with some ofthe most beautiful designs around, designs we often do not notice as we goabout our daily lives. Not only do these designs look beautiful, they also oerhumanity a wealth of recorded information about the planets past. In someways this record kept by nature could be seen as something akin to memory. [...]It is arguable that trees possess a form of memory in that they record weatherdata as they grow and create new layers of cells. They produced an apparatusto record the movements and sounds trees produce in response to the weatherthey record. In doing this, our goal is to, in an abstract sense, enhance the treesmemory capabilities. Their work Remembering Trees sought to record thetrees movements and sounds over a period of time and express that kinetic databy amplifying the trees sound and modulating it with the trees own movement.[...] Each recording will take note of the specic date, time and location andspecies of tree recorded thus reinforcing the link to a particular moment in spaceand time.

Fig. 8 Remembering trees

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Francis Raymonds piece entitled i.like.pleasure is a t-shirt that communicateswith its environment by indicating which body parts the user likes to touch andhave touched, as well as the levels of pleasure that this touch brings him. Hewanted to work on a personal project that would be meaningful in a veryindividual way. He writes: Comme bien dautres gens, je ne suis pas satisfait demon corps, je ne reponds pas aux ideaux de beaute sociaux, encore moins dansun contexte homosexuel ou` la beaute regit TOUT! He addresses social beautyideals, which, he says are particularly perceptible in gay culture. He writes thateven though he intellectually rebels against these idealized visions of physicality,his body reacts dierently: it enjoys physical intimacy. He aimed to build a shirtthat would indicate his special pleasure zones and invite physical touch. Heintegrated touch sensors made from conductive fabric over his nipples, the leftside of his belly, his left arm, and the curve of his neck. When one of these spotsis touched, images sewn into the shirt become illuminated, illustrating hisenjoyment with symbolic representations of pleasure (good music, good food, awarm bed, etc.). In order to reach the highest level of symbolic pleasure, morethan one person needs to participate, as he only has two arms (Fig. 9).Marc De Papes project Is that a nervous twitch or are you just happy to see

me? is a switchboard interface that functions as a non-verbal interface thatcommunicates the potential emotional interpretation of social interaction. [...]The assumption is that everyone experiences some form of social anxiety, fromvery mild to extreme, and understands through that basis of such anxiety theunpredictability of the other. Each participant wears vibrating motors, illu-minating antennae, and headphones. Each switchboard controller has ve stereomini jacks labeled with dierent body parts. He writes: To emphasize the

Fig. 9 Is that a nervous twitch or are you just happy to see me?

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interconnectedness between the two participants, nothing happens until theyboth plug into a jack on their respective boards. [...] Since communication isquickly becoming more and more wireless, the physical connection betweenpeople is disappearing being replaced by a virtual medium. [...] When a con-nection is made the circuit becomes complete, activating the correspondingmotor or LEDs, as well as sending a midi signal to a sampler to trigger theinternal audio. [...] What will be heard in the headset will be a voice describing apossible societal interpretation of the sensation triggered. [...] The goal here isto provide more understanding through the amplication of our awed com-munication skills. Though we are highly evolved and sophisticated, we are stillprone to mistakes and misunderstandings. Instead of seeing them as negative ordefective, we can look at the constructive beauty within the mistakes. A mistakewill show disclose the answer at the same time, we just have to be aware of whereit is found: somewhere in between.

Conclusion: intimacy and technology are not mutuallyexclusive

Bruce Mau has suggested that every memory is new, a partial construct dierentfrom its source, and, as such, a potential for growth itself (Mau 1998). In theclassroom, new technologies can be taught in ways that open students to thepotentialities for self-empowerment and playful exploration of taboos or seriousissues within contexts that are creative and artful.

About the authors

Joanna Berzowska is an Assistant Professor of Computation Arts at Concordia University inMontreal. Her work and research deal primarily with soft computation: electronic textiles,responsive clothing as wearable technology, reactive materials and squishy interfaces. She is thefounder of Extra Soft Labs design/research studio in Montreal. She was also the founder ofInternational Fashion Machines in Boston, where she developed the rst electronic ink wear-able animated display and Electric Plaid, an addressable color-change textile. She received herMasters of Science from MIT for her work titled Computational Expressionism. She workedwith the Tangible Media Group of the MIT Media Lab on research projects such as themusicBottles. She directed Interface Design at the Institute for Interactive Media at the Uni-versity of Technology in Sydney. She holds a BA in Mathematics and a BFA in Design Arts.Her art and design work has been shown in the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum in NYC,

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SIGGRAPH, Art Directors Club in NYC, Australian Museum in Sydney, NTT ICC in Tokyoand Ars Electronica Center in Linz among others. She has lectured about the intersections ofart, design, technology and computation at SIGGRAPH, ISEA, Ban New Media Institute inCanada and Interaction Design Institute Ivrea in Italy among others.

References

Berzowska J (2004) Intimate electronics: wearable computers, electronic textiles, and reactivefashion. Horizon Zero issue 16: WEAR. Internet Publication, July/August 2004. http://www.horizonzero.ca/textsite/wear.php?is=16&le=4&tlang=0

Berzowska J (2005) Memory rich clothing: second skins that communicate physical memory.In: Presented at the Fifth creativity and cognition conference, Goldsmiths College, Uni-versity of London, UK, 1215 April 2005

Berzowska J (2005) Electronic textiles: wearable computers, reactive fashion and soft compu-tation. In: Jeeries J (ed) Textiles: cloth and culture. Goldsmiths College, University ofLondon. Berg Publishers (in press)

Csikszentmihalyi M (1993) Why we need things. In: David Kingery W, Lubar SD (eds) Historyfrom things: essays on material culture. Smithsonian Institution Press, pp 2029

Lupton E (ed) (2002) Skin: surface, substance, and design. Princeton Architectural Press, NewYork

Mau B (1998) An incomplete manifesto for growth. Internet Publication, http://www.brucemau.com/manifesto.html

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