Negotiating Control and Agency: Somaesthetics and Feminist Perspectives on a Wearable E-Textile Instrument

Qiaosheng Lyu; Ryo Ikeshiro

Negotiating Control and Agency: Somaesthetics and Feminist Perspectives on a Wearable E-Textile Instrument
Image credit: Qiaosheng Lyu; Ryo Ikeshiro

Abstract:

Control and agency in digital musical instruments are commonly framed through paradigms of mastery and precision in interaction or seamless integration. This study reconsiders these assumptions through feminist and somaesthetics perspectives, examining how control and agency emerge through embodied negotiation. Using a deformable, wearable e-textile interface designed for whole-body engagement, we conducted an exploratory study with four female participants. Multimodal data, including movement recordings and semi-structured interviews, were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings show participants’ situated experiences with material affordance and open-ended interaction that reconfigure bodily perception and movement strategies. Rather than striving for proficiency or mastery, participants developed a co-agential relationship with the instrument through ongoing negotiation among bodily movement, auditory feedback, and material response. With a feminist and somaesthetics perspective, this work contributes to design opportunities for wearable musical interfaces that encourage affective and exploratory engagement as interaction.