The Gesturewriter

The Gesturewriter is a unique tool for composing and performing text. The underlying concept is to understand writing utensils as performative instruments, similar to musical instruments! The musical instrument theremin is known for its playability without physical contact. It can be controlled through the gestures of the left and right hand. A typewriter writes characters on a sheet of paper and is used as a writing medium to store text on paper. However, the Gesturewriter combines both the theremin’s gestural interaction and the typewriter’s storing ability. It forms an instrument that brings together performance and writing.

People commented that the Gesturewriter has several bugs and is difficult to use. In this performance lecture, I will prove that they are wrong and that the metaphors bug and debug may also be wrong.