Embodying Sustainability: Paving Opportunities for NIME Research

Xinran Chen, Iurii Kuzmin, Mela Bettega, and Raul Masu

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

While sustainability has gained attention in NIME research, primarily focusing on instrument longevity and durability, the role musical interfaces play in promoting environmental awareness remains unexplored. This paper investigates how musical interfaces can foster sustainability through designing embodied experiences. We present a literature review that examines the integration of sustainability and embodiment in sonic interaction, in which we synthesize practical points on how sound, materials, data, and interactions can aesthetically support embodying sustainability. We further explore these concepts through a design case study. Our findings suggest that embodied musical experiences offer unique opportunities to cultivate environmental consciousness, contributing to a deeper understanding of sustainable musical interfaces relying on artistic expressions.

Citation

Xinran Chen, Iurii Kuzmin, Mela Bettega, and Raul Masu. 2025. Embodying Sustainability: Paving Opportunities for NIME Research. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15698845 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@article{nime2025_34,
 abstract = {While sustainability has gained attention in NIME research, primarily focusing on instrument longevity and durability, the role musical interfaces play in promoting environmental awareness remains unexplored. This paper investigates how musical interfaces can foster sustainability through designing embodied experiences. We present a literature review that examines the integration of sustainability and embodiment in sonic interaction, in which we synthesize practical points on how sound, materials, data, and interactions can aesthetically support embodying sustainability. We further explore these concepts through a design case study. Our findings suggest that embodied musical experiences offer unique opportunities to cultivate environmental consciousness, contributing to a deeper understanding of sustainable musical interfaces relying on artistic expressions.},
 address = {Canberra, Australia},
 articleno = {34},
 author = {Xinran Chen and Iurii Kuzmin and Mela Bettega and Raul Masu},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.15698845},
 editor = {Doga Cavdir and Florent Berthaut},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 numpages = {12},
 pages = {238--249},
 title = {Embodying Sustainability: Paving Opportunities for NIME Research},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2025/nime2025_34.pdf},
 year = {2025}
}