Abstract
In biennales and world expos, where creative ideas, cultural values, and technological developments in art and architecture are exhibited, kinetic systems are increasingly used in installations and pavilions. This paper frames kinetic structures in relation to embodied aesthetics and investigates how such kinetic structures go beyond mere display to offer visitors a holistic aesthetic experience. It introduces a selection of kinetic structures presented in diverse biennales and expos by utilizing publications, commentaries, and curatorial statements; deconstructs and analyzes their designs regarding types of movement, body-space-time relations, participation modes, embodied metaphors, and conceptual narratives. Thus, the paper shows how kinetic structures designed with a somaesthetic sensitivity expand architectural aesthetics from visual appreciation to bodily experience. Overall, it proposes a framework for investigating kinetic exhibition designs in line with the approaches defined in the literature.
Keywords
kinetic structures, embodied aesthetics, biennales, world expos
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.493
Citation
Topuz, H., and Şen, G. (2026) Investigating the embodied aesthetics of kinetic structures at biennales and world expos, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.493
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Investigating the embodied aesthetics of kinetic structures at biennales and world expos
In biennales and world expos, where creative ideas, cultural values, and technological developments in art and architecture are exhibited, kinetic systems are increasingly used in installations and pavilions. This paper frames kinetic structures in relation to embodied aesthetics and investigates how such kinetic structures go beyond mere display to offer visitors a holistic aesthetic experience. It introduces a selection of kinetic structures presented in diverse biennales and expos by utilizing publications, commentaries, and curatorial statements; deconstructs and analyzes their designs regarding types of movement, body-space-time relations, participation modes, embodied metaphors, and conceptual narratives. Thus, the paper shows how kinetic structures designed with a somaesthetic sensitivity expand architectural aesthetics from visual appreciation to bodily experience. Overall, it proposes a framework for investigating kinetic exhibition designs in line with the approaches defined in the literature.