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Arts & Communication On the interplay between painting and music

Figure 1. ArtStory Beats’ screenshots depicting the main user flow. An Artwork Card is scanned and its digital image gets displayed along with a sequence
of narratives, while related audio is playing. Image created by authors

2.3. User study procedure experience and prompted them to describe three
positive and three negative aspects. Then, the facilitator
We invited 15 adults to participate in the study, ensuring posed a series of questions related to their engagement
that they have varying levels of interest and prior knowledge
of art and music. All participants had Greek nationality, with the provided cultural content (the related list of
with their ages ranging from 24 to 54 years (nine females interview questions [IQs] is reported in Table 1). At
the end, the facilitator initiated a discussion over the
and six males). The study included three main phases: potential contexts of its use.
(1) One day before the appointment with each participant,
the facilitator sent an information sheet describing the The main objective of IQ1, IQ2, IQ5, and IQ6 was
main purposes of the research. to provoke participants’ reflection and recall of specific
(2) At the beginning of the meeting, the participants were content (Artwork Cards, stories, or/and music pieces),
informed that their interviews would be recorded which would provide potential points of reference and
and signed a consent form. Then, the participants further elaboration in the discussion concerning (1) their
proceeded to install a mobile app called ArtStory perception of the employed story structure (IQ7 and IQ8),
Beats on their personal devices and were provided (2) their understanding and preferences over the different
with a digital file containing 10 “Artwork Cards” (one types of connections uncovered (IQ3, IQ4, and IQ9), as
per slide). They were prompted to turn on the volume well as (3) the effects these had on participants’ experience
of their device and use the app to scan the Artwork (IQ10).
Cards and explore the artworks’ music-related The video/audio recordings were transcribed and then
stories. The facilitator instructed the participants to analyzed using narrative and thematic content analysis
scan at least three visual artworks so that they could methods.
have a discussion over the related content afterward.
The facilitator clarified that there was no need to go 3. Results
through the entire collection or explore the whole 3.1. Layered conceptual model
content offered by the app. The participants were
guided to skip the parts they were not interested in, The constructed model expands over six different levels
stop or volume down the music at any point they and is visually depicted in Figure 2. Starting the description
wished, and call the facilitator when they wanted to from its core, the “Experiential” and “Inspirational” layers
stop using the app. directly capture the artists’ perspective over the symbiotic
(3) Upon completion, the facilitator conducted a and dialogic relation between the two forms of art.
structured interview with each participant. First, the The experiential level includes a series of
facilitator asked the participants if they liked this “complementarity” connections between visual artworks

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 4 doi: 10.36922/ac.2367