Experiencing Distance: Wearable Engagements with Remote Relationships
Janne Mascha Beuthel, Philippe Bentegeac, Verena Fuchsberger, Bernhard Maurer, Manfred Tscheligi
Abstract
Living dislocated from family, friends or partners can result in negative emotions and a lack of physical, bodily closeness. We focus on materialising the negative consequences associated with living far apart in a textile form, and manifest those in two pairs of wearable artefacts: first, WARMTH, which simulates the bodily distance between remote people through a decrease in felt temperature, and second, BREATH, which embodies the bodily absence of a remote other through a decline in mechanical movement of textiles. The wearables are ‘discussion artefacts’ that enable conversation about, reflection on and exchange of personal, negative, vulnerable and challenging emotions connected to living far apart. The stance taken in this pictorial emphasises the necessity to focus not only on overcoming and bridging the distance between remote people through interactive artefacts; but also, to consider and manifest melancholic and possibly negative personal experiences.