Abstract
Perspectives on time within interaction design research have extended beyond material embodiments, such as standard clocks, to exploring alternative designs and situating these in cultural practices and relations. We investigate examples of how time has been expressed in a series of object-based artworks that represent time otherwise, highlighting how they use a variety of material forms to engage with social, political, and contextually performative issues. Through a critical analysis, we illustrate how such works engage with topics of social negotiation, hidden labour, gender, power, and technology-supported disruptive living. We end with a reflection on how these expressions of meaning-making cultivate plural interpretations, require situated readings through contemporary culture, experiment with temporalities and materialities, and how these aspects can contribute to design.
Keywords
Object art; Time; Materiality; Alternatives; Interaction Design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.2
Citation
Ciobanu, P.,and Fernaeus, Y.(2025) Is it About Time? On the Meanings of Temporal Representations in Object Art, in Brandt, E., Markussen, T., Berglund, E., Julier, G., Linde, P. (eds.), Nordes 2025: Relational Design, 6-8 August, Oslo, Norway. https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.2
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Is it About Time? On the Meanings of Temporal Representations in Object Art
Perspectives on time within interaction design research have extended beyond material embodiments, such as standard clocks, to exploring alternative designs and situating these in cultural practices and relations. We investigate examples of how time has been expressed in a series of object-based artworks that represent time otherwise, highlighting how they use a variety of material forms to engage with social, political, and contextually performative issues. Through a critical analysis, we illustrate how such works engage with topics of social negotiation, hidden labour, gender, power, and technology-supported disruptive living. We end with a reflection on how these expressions of meaning-making cultivate plural interpretations, require situated readings through contemporary culture, experiment with temporalities and materialities, and how these aspects can contribute to design.