A Relational (Re)Turn: Revisit Interactive Art through Interaction and Aesthetics

Abstract: This paper revisits the concept of interaction in interactive art, tracing its evolution from sociocultural origins to its narrowing within human-computer paradigms. It critiques this reduction and proposes a relational (re)turn through reclaiming interaction as intersubjective and relational. Through a synthesis of aesthetic theories and case studies from Ars Electronica, the paper introduces Techno Relational Aesthetics, a new conceptual lens that emphasizes technologically mediated relationality. This approach expands interactive art beyond audience-artwork interaction and opens the possibility to broader relational practices.