Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

The Dervish Sound dress is a wearable piece of technology; a garment that is inspired by the sacred experience of the Whirling Dervishes or the Mevlevi Sufi order in Turkey. The garment functions as an instrument when it is worn and changes depending on how the wearer moves. The cultural traditions of the Mevlevi Sufis and their metaphysical experience during the turning ritual of the “sema” performance is the inspiration behind the creation of a garment that emulates sounds by using body movement. The Dervish Sound Dress is outfitted with sensors that emit musical sounds with every movement that the wearer makes. The movement triggers sensations through haptic feedback like when a musician plays an instrument. It is a heightened experience that can benefit the wearer in numerous ways through wearable interaction. Exploring the outcome of expressing emotion through performance in wearable fashion technology is a developing concept. The motivation for creating The Dervish Sound Dress is to explore further how through performance, sound and sound vibrations that are used in a garment can generate an emotive response in the wearer and possibly invoke a spiritually emotional experience. This dress is accessible to anyone wishing to embark on a unique musical journey.