Bow & Tea-An Unleashed Device Using Everyday Components and Technology

Device Art, initiated in 2004 by Machiko Kusahara, is a new form of media art in Japan, which integrates art and technology, as well as design, entertainment, and popular culture. Each device is specially invented for artistic purposes, and it can be considered as an artwork on its own as it becomes the content itself. This paper explores the idea of the unleashed device—artists using everyday components and objects, and mixing them together with media technologies; then these artists apply their unique imaginations, uniting art, design, and technology. To identify the underlying potential of unleashed devices in a context that spurs the artistic sensibility to participate in the interplay between varied interactive devices, and also to be fruitful in terms of ludic, playful technology and performative experiences, I will review some related works and discuss Bow & Tea as a case study.