Conductive Matter Through Material Methods

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46516/inmaterial.v10.238

Keywords:

conductive art, tactile interaction, embodiment, neurophilosophy, practice-led research

Abstract

This paper presents Inert Matter (2022), an experimental art exhibition investigating technological tactile and affective dimensions. The project is centred around the reactivation of discarded touchscreens to transform e-waste into interactive artworks using conductive threads, diodes and the embodied participation of audiences. Through a practice-led research methodology, the work challenges the assumed obsolescence of broken digital surfaces and repositions them as sites of sensory engagement and speculative intimacy.

Drawing on new materialist philosophy and interaction theory, the project reframes touch as both a material encounter and a political gesture – one that resists the habitual flattening of sensory experience in digital culture. By foregrounding the electric vitality of both human and non-human matter, Inert Matter proposes alternative ways of sensing, interacting with and rethinking technological intimacy in the age of disposability. 

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Author Biography

Marika Grasso, Lab4Living, Sheffield Hallam University (Sheffield, United Kingdom)

I am an artist and PhD candidate at Sheffield Hallam University in Lab4Living, whose work interweaves touch, material fragilities, and social ecology, blending research, artistic practice, and teaching. My background in textiles and fashion informs my exploration of digital materiality and sensory experiences within a more-than-human world using neurobiological and feminist frameworks. My practice highlights mundane tactile sensibilities and how these interact with ecological and digital environments, aiming to foster sensory awareness and connectivity within our shared ecosystems. Drawing on New Materialist theory, I work with textile and material methods to explore the entanglement of human and non-human agents, resonating with oculocentric approaches to art. In 2023, I held a Junior Fellowship at IWM, focusing on Digital Humanism and Care, and later co-facilitated a SOMAGRID workshop with neuroscientist Erika Mondria for Ars Electronica, exploring touch as a collaborative, sensory bridge between humans and technology.

My recent exhibition, Handy! at Yorkshire Art Space, examined touch and embodied interaction, encouraging viewers to consider technology part of a living ecosystem of sensory exchanges. I teach Fashion Design, focusing on speculative and caring practices and advocating for sustainable, community-centred approaches to materials and production. 

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Published

2025-06-29

How to Cite

[1]
Grasso, M. 2025. Conductive Matter Through Material Methods . INMATERIAL. Diseño, Arte y Sociedad. 10, 19 (Jun. 2025), 54–75 p. DOI:https://doi.org/10.46516/inmaterial.v10.238.

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 19 (2025): Machines and Organisms: Affect, Matter, and Performativity across Art, Science, and Technology

Section

ORIGINALS RESEARCH ARTICLES

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Copyright (c) 2025 Marika Grasso

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