Imbuing Hand-made Objects with Digital Narratives

The incorporation of digital technologies within hand made objects is perceived as an incongruous juxtaposition between new technologies and traditional craft skills. This research examines how sensitive layering of digital narratives can enhance the hand made, engaging viewers and enabling artifacts to create their own narrative whilst triggering memories and emotions from within the viewer.

There is an inherent message or story in handmade objects, through the interaction of the maker as well as the importance attached by the owner. The development of the ‘internet of things’ has permitted digital communication between objects. Through the integration of digital sensors, hand made objects can become more than a repository for static memories, instead tracking and responding to the engagement of the owner thus imbuing an object with the power to ‘record’ its life, enabling it to tell a new story of its being.