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Why aesthetic expression of feelings?

Emphasis on communication through different languages.

When technology comes into play?

What targets are we aiming at?

 

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Why Aesthetic Expression of Feelings?
Initially, we were fiddling with the idea of organizing a workshop on technologies enhancing self-expression. By playing with the concept, we encountered quite a few difficulties. The term self-expression turned out to be extremely ambiguous and confusing. It seems mainly to imply a solipsistic dimension that does not relate to the context, in which the subject is placed (place, values, group of people, purpose…). To add this dimension, we propose a new definition: 'aesthetic expression of feelings'.

The term "aesthetic" implies the notion of context, in the sense that it refers to the values of an individual, as well as to their relationship to the values of the context in which the individual interacts. It encompasses not only people's ability/need to express in a way that is true to themselves, pleasant and rewarding for them and the others, but also their ability/need to perceive, interpret and influence the context. It emphasizes the notion of pleasure as an essential element of the interaction with oneself, with others and with the context in general.

We choose to focus on the "expression of feelings" insofar these are universal, although unique experiences to each individual. The following could be indicated as constitutive elements of Aesthetic expression of feelings:
- Developing a sense of context and of self in a context
- Developing insights to adapting to situations and contexts
- Developing an understanding of values by expressing feelings
- Building up social competencies
- Empathy
- Reflection
- Improving inter-personal and intra-personal communication
- Pleasure in the interaction (with the self and with the others)

Each of these constitutive elements feeds back into the expression of feelings in a dynamic fashion, reinforcing the ability to express and being reinforced by it.

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Emphasis on communication through different languages.
We would like to focus on other forms of expression beyond the verbal one, especially gesture, sound and physical interaction, triggering visual, auditing and tactile faculties. We are convinced that these forms of expression have an equal dignity to the verbal language that is so much valued by our western culture. Giving value to gesture, sound and physical interaction puts a special emphasis on the expression of emotion as a "legitimate" and valuable social competence, used in communication. (Of course gesture, sound and physical interaction need not to stand alone, but can also accompany, punctuate, complement verbal expression). Our stance is that by focusing on the plurality of expression languages, we increase the possibility for individuals to choose the one that best suits them and we help them gain self-confidence by discovering their own potential. This will result in an increased chance that the expression will be accessible to a larger "audience".
By enlarging the range of socially valuable communication languages, we enlarge the spectrum of social competences and contribute to a redistribution of social recognition.

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When technology comes into play?
Technology should then help people express in the language which most suits them, in a way which is more accessible to others. It should also encourage less usual ways of expression as a way to people's understanding, self-confidence and discovery of one's own and other's potential.
Once the framework of the problem is defined, we can ask ourselves how technology can enhance / enable (have enhanced / enabled) an aesthetic expression/encounter of feelings. Different triggers, involving different senses, will be considered.

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What target areas are we aiming at?
We propose to tackle the issue of aesthetic expression of feelings in relation to a specific area, namely people in need of special support, lacking social awareness - be their physically or mentally impaired, socially disadvantaged, or lacking social awareness for various reasons (to a certain extent, we may all do, depending on the contexts we are confronted with).

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