Back to the Future: Interactivity and Associational Narrativity at the Bauhaus

This paper contextualises the themes of interactivity and associational narrativity within a wider historicaltrajectory, by examining projects conducted at the Bauhaus during the 1920s. Bauhaus artists such as László Moholy-Nagy and Oskar Schlemmer developed models and theories for cinema, theatre and installation art, which sought to surrender authorial control and engage the audience as a creative force. As contemporary artists continue to debate how to transform interactivity into an aesthetically compelling rather than participatory activity, Bauhaus projects, with their focus on associational narratives and awareness of embodied cognition, offer inspiration for current practice.