2.1. Physical-Digital Integration

Phygital art integrates the physical and the digital, challenging the boundaries between the tangible and the virtual. Lev ^{Manovich (2001}) defines "transcoding" as the mutual conversion between the cultural and computational layers of digital media, occurring in a symbiotic relationship. Within the phygital taxonomy, purely physical and purely digital states represent the most elementary levels. These are followed by complementary simulacra, in which one dimension - physical or digital - dominates while the other serves merely as an accessory. A subsequent level is characterised by the balanced coexistence of both components, demonstrating collaborative interaction without achieving full fusion. Phygital transcoding becomes apparent in works that promote continuous and dynamic transformation, where the physical and digital evolve in tandem, continuously reconfiguring the aesthetic and conceptual experience. This integrated relationship signifies an ideal fusion of the two elements, with each influencing the other to generate new expressive, sensory, and conceptual possibilities.

2.2. Cognitive Experience

The cognitive experience examines the narrative and symbolic complexity of artworks, considering how interpretations may challenge the audience to explore deeper meanings. ^{Alacovska et al. (2020}) highlight the role of digital art in questioning social norms, fostering empathy, and transforming thought, while ^{Dewey (1934}) emphasises aesthetic interaction as an active intellectual dialogue.

Within this framework, the qualitative levels are defined as follows: a simple narrative is characterised by clear and accessible communication, reflecting an absence of narrative complexity and conveying straightforward, direct, and immediate messages.

Conceptual exploration negotiates a balance between accessibility and critical reflection. Symbolism and abstraction emerge as elements that complicate simple interpretations, offering multiple layers of meaning and encouraging the audience to decipher messages beyond the obvious, thereby requiring it to decode complex ideas. Reflexivity further implies the elicitation of empathetic and reflective analyses from the audience. Finally, cognitive transformation represents the pinnacle of this dimension, involving critical reinterpretations that challenge and reshape established cultural and social values, profoundly impacting the audience's perceptions and stimulating debate.

2.3. Appreciation

The dimension of appreciation addresses the audience's experience, focusing on the sensory and intellectual engagement that the artwork evokes. ^{Dewey (1934}) argues that appreciation transcends passive observation, constituting a dynamic process that transforms both perception and the work itself. On the other hand, ^{Grau (2002}) emphasises multisensory immersion as a factor that intensifies the connection between the spectator and the work.

Contemplative appreciation is characterised by passive observation, in which the audience refrains from direct intervention and limits itself to a detached engagement, typically resulting in a restricted emotional impact. In contrast, interactive appreciation involves active, though moderate, participation by the audience, allowing its choices or actions to influence the experience without radically altering the work.

Absorption is characterised by intense multisensory involvement, simultaneously engaging the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. This leads to a rich and immersive experience that often causes the audience to become disengaged from the physical space and temporal context of the artwork, relegating these aspects to a secondary role. Singular participatory appreciation reflects individual cocreation, wherein an audience member actively transforms the work, deepening their unique connection to it. Collective participation, by contrast, entails simultaneous engagement by multiple audience members, each exerting a specific influence on the work.

2.4. Sensory Experience

The sensory experience evaluates audience engagement through multisensory stimuli, establishing emotional and physical connections that extend beyond the visual. ^{Grau (2002}) highlights "total immersion" as a factor that intensifies interaction, while ^{Yu and Yao (2023}) observe that immersive environments transform the observer into an active participant. A focused visual experience is confined to visual stimuli, with minimal impact on additional sensory channels. The tactile-visual experience combines sight and touch, enriching interaction though falling short of full immersion. The multisensory experience activates several senses, albeit to a limited extent. Sensory immersion involves the intense engagement of all senses, producing a profound and lasting emotional and aesthetic effect. Furthermore, immersive synaesthesia provokes interdependent and interconnected sensations across multiple senses.

2.5. Interactivity

Interactivity reconfigures the relationship between the audience and the artwork, transforming the spectator into an active participant or co-creator. ^{Kiousis (2002}) distinguishes various levels of interactivity, ranging from automatic responses to complete control. Passive interactivity is limited to a contemplative role, exerting no influence on the work itself. Simple interactivity permits basic choices, moderately increasing audience involvement. Moderate interactivity allows decisions that affect the work, but without granting full control over it. Advanced interactivity provides total control, enabling the audience to co-create and shape the artistic experience in a significant way. Essential interactivity builds upon this, making interactivity crucial to the experience or even the very existence of the work.

2.6. Bodily Engagement

Bodily engagement considers the audience's body as an active mediator in the aesthetic experience, emphasising physicality in engagement with the work. ^{Hansen (2003}) and ^{Munster (2011}) stress somatic interaction in digital environments, integrating the body into the artistic process to foster immersion. Light bodily engagement is limited to subtle gestures and minimal physicality. Moderate involvement entails broader movements, characterised by increased physical participation without full expressiveness. High involvement features intense bodily expressiveness, positioning the body as the central element of the experience. Total interaction fully integrates the body into the essence of the work, making it indispensable to the artistic experience.

4.1. Aesthetics - Articulation With Sensory Experience, Cognitive Experience, Interactivity, and Bodily Engagement

The aesthetics axis examines the capacity of a work to elicit meaningful emotional and sensory responses from the audience, identifying experiences that resonate simultaneously on emotional and intellectual levels. This axis is intrinsically linked to the dimensions of sensory experience, cognitive experience, bodily engagement, and interactivity within the phygital taxonomy. The subcategories of these dimensions offer a detailed analytical framework for evaluating and designing the aesthetic effectiveness of phygital creations.

The subcategories within the phygital taxonomy enable a comprehensive framing of sensory experiences that extend beyond isolated stimuli. Atmospheric Memory (2023) by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer exemplifies this through the use of digital projections, tactile surfaces, and spatialised sound to transform atmospheric vibrations into immersive interactions. By rendering words in vapour and layering evocative soundscapes, the work forges emotional connections between the audience and the environment, highlighting the transformative potential of the phygital.

The exhibition Black Ancient Futures (2024) at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon further illustrates these dimensions, featuring sculptures, video art, and multisensory installations. Addressing themes such as racism, mysticism, and the African diaspora, it incorporates symbolism and conceptual transformation, enriching the audience's experience. The exhibition negotiates a balance between political and aesthetic reflection, demonstrating how cognitive experience can make art both critical and engaging.

Interactivity transforms the audience into active co-creators of the work. In physical interactivity - as exemplified by 2Poetic AI (2021) by TeamLab - gestures and movements generate personalised digital projections, resulting in unique scenarios. Cognitive interactivity builds upon this by combining bodily movement with intellectual engagement, inviting interpretation and meaningmaking. This physical-mental integration, aligned with the co-creative ethos of a/r/cography, fosters a collaborative artistic experience between the artwork and the audience.

Bodily engagement underscores the importance of physical interaction with the artwork, integrating the human body into both physical and digital environments. In We Live in an Ocean of Air (2018-2019) by Marshmallow Laser Feast, the audience actively participates in shaping the final result. The work employs virtual reality, touch, and smell to create an immersive ecosystem wherein participants' movements interact with digital elements, articulating the interdependence between humans and the environment and uniting physical, sensory, and virtual dimensions.

The integration of these dimensions into the aesthetic axis of a/r/cography enables the articulation of a symbiotic relationship that enhances the artistic experience.

This interdisciplinary approach defines the aesthetics axis as a space where technological innovation, sensory expression, and critical reflection converge. It reconfigures phygital practice into a field that combines immersive sensory engagement with cognitive experience. Through the taxonomy's subcategories, the aesthetic axis becomes a crucial element for the critical creation and analysis of works that connect audiences in multidimensional ways, fostering interactions among technology, aesthetics, and culture and inviting new forms of emotional and intellectual engagement with contemporary art.

4.2. Aptitude - Articulation With Physical-Digital Integration, Sensory Experience, Cognitive Experience, Interactivity, and Bodily Engagement

The aptitude axis of a/r/cography constitutes the fundamental basis for analysing the capacity for research, design, and execution of artworks, integrating processes, materials, and technologies that enable their realisation. This axis transcends mere operational function by articulating key dimensions - namely, physical-digital integration alongside sensory experience, cognitive experience, interactivity, and bodily engagement. These categories provide a systematic and comprehensive framework from the perspective of technical and artistic aptitude, allowing contemporary creative practice to be redefined through the alignment of sensory and intellectual experiences with technological mediation.

Physical-digital integration emerges as a central dimension, facilitating the harmonious fusion of tangible and virtual elements and establishing a sensory continuum that offers the audience novel modes of interaction.

By synthesising these dimensions and their subdivisions, the aptitude axis reconfigures phygital practice as a domain of technical innovation with significant aesthetic and conceptual impact. The interplay between contemplative appreciation, physical and cognitive interactivity, and full participation establishes a broad framework for expanding the artistic experience and engaging audiences on sensory and intellectual levels. Consequently, the technical axis not only analyses the creative process but also redefines paradigms of the art-technologycorporeality relationship, reinforcing its contemporary relevance.

The convergence of these dimensions culminates in impactful artistic experiences. A notable example is the exhibition AI: More Than Human (2019), which fully embodies the articulation of physical-digital integration, interactivity, and bodily engagement. This exhibition presents hybrid installations that explore the relationship between artificial intelligence and humanity, utilising interactive projections, spatialised sound, and real-time visualisations to create an environment that connects audiences with contemporary themes in a reflective and emotionally compelling manner.

4.3. Function - Articulation With Appreciation and Cognitive Experience

The function or relationship axis frames the social, cultural, and communicative impact of artworks, exploring how they transcend their aesthetic qualities to act as agents of cultural, social, and experiential transformation. This axis establishes meaningful connections with the audience and the context in which the work is situated, intrinsically articulating with the phygital taxonomy dimensions of appreciation and cognitive experience.

Function relates closely to two key taxonomic dimensions: appreciation and cognitive experience. The dimension of appreciation is exemplified by Refik Anadol's The Infinity Room (2019), an installation combining digital projections and infinite mirrors to create an immersive environment that transcends the physical confines of space, offering a hybrid experience. When integrated with interactivity, this approach enables dynamic responses to audience gestures and movements, transforming the artistic experience into something tangible and immediate, thereby intensifying sensory engagement.

Participatory appreciation plays a central role by inviting the audience to actively and often co-creatively engage, allowing spectators to directly influence the work's outcome. This dimension is significant within the function/relationship axis, as it transforms the artwork into a space for co-creation and shared meaning. A paradigmatic example is Me+You by Es Devlin (2021), which invites visitors to record personal messages that are incorporated into an interactive installation in real-time. Such interaction fosters an emotional and reflective bond between the audience and the artwork, emphasising the spectator's role as co-creator and amplifying the relational impact of the artistic experience.

The cognitive experience, central to the function/relationship axis, evaluates how the narratives and symbolism within artworks validate or challenge cultural and social paradigms. Art can thus reinforce prevailing contexts or catalyse change by questioning established norms. Olafur Eliasson's Earth Speakr (2020) exemplifies this by incorporating simple narratives and symbolism into an application that gives voice to objects, connecting audiences to environmental and cultural issues in an accessible yet profound manner. By combining cognitive experience and participatory appreciation, the work creates transformative experiences.

Similarly, Refik Anadol's The Anticipation of the Night (2023), which transforms climate data into dynamic visualisations, exemplifies the fusion of participatory appreciation and conceptual transformation, engaging audiences in both individual and collective critical dialogues on environmental change.

5.1. Application of A/r/cographic Analysis to Development

The application of a/r/cography in the Texel2048Loom project is distinguished by its integration of textile tradition with artificial intelligence, establishing a continuous "arc" between the physical and digital realms. This methodology transcends a mere conceptual union, fostering a dynamic flow of interaction, transformation, and documentation that links tradition with contemporary technologies. The process employs three neural network algorithms:

Texel2048Loom invites the audience to interact, thereby influencing the reinterpretation of textile heritage through algorithms. This human-technological dialogue generates new symbolic layers, revitalising tradition within a digital ecosystem through feedback cycles.

In Texel2048Loom, a/r/cography fuses interaction, technology, and tradition into a living process, rewriting textile history in dialogue with the future while remaining firmly rooted in its origins.

5.2. Evaluation of the Work Texel2048Loom

5.2.2. Through Phygital Taxonomy

To rigorously assess the degree of physical-digital hybridisation and the aesthetic-cognitive impact of Texel2048Loom, this study applied the phygital taxonomy developed as part of the research. This analytical grid quantifies six core dimensions on a continuous scale from zero to 10, then translates them into standardised qualitative levels. The numerical overview presented in Table 1, complemented by the radar chart, provides a detailed and comparative analysis of the work's performance, highlighting its strengths and identifying areas where further development is possible.

Table 1 Overview Table of the Evaluation of the Work Texel2048Loom 

Physical-digital integration - 9: real-time gesture capture feeds generative algorithms that project immediate visual responses on the three physical screens, forming a dynamic body-code-space circuit (see Figure 5). The lack of tactile feedback/actuators prevents the maximum value.

Figure 5 Radar chart of the phygital profile of the work Texel2048Loom 

Sensory Experience - 3: the work opts for restrained sensory stimulation, confining itself almost exclusively to the visual field. It does not explore sound, tactile, or olfactory components, producing a subtle and deliberately minimalist experience.

Cognitive experience - 8: the work questions the algorithmic recoding of the Portalegre tapestries, addressing cultural memory, authenticity, and technology, leading to a strong "cognitive transformation" (see Figure 6).

Figure 6 Graphical representation of the aesthetics axis with the coupling of the phygital taxonomy 

Interactivity - 7: the immediate response implies effective co-authorship; each action contributes to the configuration of the composition, respecting previously defined algorithmic limits and positioning itself at the "advanced" level.

Bodily engagement - 6: the body acts as an essential trigger, but participation remains predominantly gestural; there is room for greater performativity or two-way feedback (see Figure 7).

Figure 7 Graphical representation of the aptitude axis with the coupling of the phygital taxonomy 

Appreciation - 7: chromatic-formal metamorphoses combined with an intuitive interface provide an engaging experience where the audience enjoys the mutations while actively participating in their genesis (see Figure 8).

Figure 8 Graphical representation of the function axis with the coupling of the phygital taxonomy 

6.1. Application of A/r/c ographic Analysis to Development

The physical-digital convergence achieved through the articulation between a/r/cography and phygital taxonomy enables a holistic interpretation of Texel2048Loom. By intersecting the procedural and relational vectors of a/r/cography with the quantitative dimensions of the phygital taxonomy, a coherent view of the work emerges across its multiple layers: material, virtual, and symbolic. The low score for sensory experience (3) contrasts with the high cognitive score (8), emphasising that the device favours metaphorical thinking and the conceptual layer over synaesthetic immersion. Even so, the scores for bodily engagement (6) and interactivity (7) show audience participation that, although already significant, could benefit from an amplification of the physical-digital component - for example, by introducing haptic or sound stimuli that reinforce the continuity between the tangible space and the virtual environment. Finally, the balance between appreciation (7) and cognitive depth (8) confirms an experience that is both accessible and intellectually dense, capable of evoking both emotion and critical reflection in the spectator.

From the perspective of the creative process, a/r/cography illustrates how each fundamental axis - aesthetics, aptitude, and function - was explored throughout the various stages of the work's development, underscoring its iterative and experimental character. The phygital taxonomy underlines the hybrid nature of Texel2048Loom, quantifying interactivity and bodily engagement and highlighting technological co-authorship. This integrated approach highlights the conceptual cohesion of the work, which, focused on visual stimuli, reflects on the preservation and reinvention of heritage. Thus, it links textile tradition and computer vision algorithms, validating mixed methodologies that evaluate the creative process and interactive quality of phygital art.

6.2. Level of Phygital Achieved

The analysis of the three axes of a/r/cography, combined with the assigned values, indicates that Texel2048Loom achieves an advanced level of phygitality. The work goes beyond the mere coexistence of the physical and digital domains, establishing a symbiosis that connects them in a natural and enriching way.

The articulation between algorithms and human gestures makes this work a model of the potential of phygitality to revitalise cultural heritage, making it dynamic, inclusive, and participatory. At the same time, by involving the public in the creative process and converting complex concepts into emotionally accessible experiences, the work demonstrates the effectiveness of its methodology. In this way, Texel2048Loom positions itself not only as a contemporary artistic creation but also as evidence of a/r/cography as an innovative resource in current artistic production.

7.1. Advantages

The integration of the phygital taxonomy with a/r/cography offers a coherent methodological framework that bridges analytical and creative dimensions in phygital artistic practice. While the taxonomy provides a conceptual structure for evaluating the hybridisation of physical and digital components, a/r/cography supports an iterative process of creation, reflection, and documentation.

The phygital taxonomy enables the mapping of physical-digital convergence, classifying interactivity, bodily engagement, and cognitive depth. In parallel, a/r/cography organises the creative process across seven iterative stages - from conceptualisation to experimentation and evaluation - fostering a continuous dialogue between theory and practice. Together, they encourage participatory engagement, recognising the audience as co-creators. While the taxonomy highlights the role of interactivity and bodily engagement, a/r/cography supports aesthetic and emotional responsiveness, allowing for adaptive adjustments informed by feedback.

This integration also promotes experimentation with phygital configurations by incorporating technologies such as computer vision alongside cultural heritage elements, thus challenging the boundaries between analogue and digital domains. Its adaptability across contexts stems from the balance between the analytical precision of the taxonomy and the practical structure of a/r/cography, making it applicable to a wide range of hybrid artistic practices.

The Texel2048Loom project exemplifies these advantages. By combining computer vision, gesture recognition, and the reinterpretation of Portalegre tapestry motifs, the work demonstrates how the taxonomy supports the assessment of interactivity and conceptual complexity while a/r/cography documents and critically reflects on the creative process.

7.2. Limitations

Despite its advantages, the combination of phygital taxonomy with a/r/cography presents certain limitations, which can be divided into two main categories: theoretical-methodological, linked to the characteristics of the models themselves, and case-specific, relating to the practical application in the Texel2048Loom project. The phygital taxonomy, conceived to analyse the interaction between physical and digital dimensions, is less applicable to purely digital or entirely physical projects, thus being limited to hybrid contexts. Although it addresses sensory stimulation, it lacks detailed guidelines for multisensory experiences - such as sound, touch, or smell - beyond the visual, which may necessitate complementary frameworks in broader projects.

Moreover, the taxonomy does not incorporate specific categories to address ethical and cultural concerns, such as digital authorship or socio-cultural impact. This limits the scope of analysis, even though a/r/cography encourages critical reflection in these areas. The integration of both models - phygital taxonomy, focused on hybrid dimensions, and a/r/cography, on creation and reflection - may also lead to overlaps or consistency issues in the absence of unified evaluative tools.

In the case of Texel2048Loom, bodily interaction was captured through computer vision and projected visually, but lacked material physicality. This imbalance between physical and digital elements affected the phygital equilibrium of the work. Furthermore, its primary visual focus highlighted practical limitations in the absence of other sensory dimensions, such as sound, smell, or texture.

8.1. Future Refinements, Review, and Expansion

The Texel2048Loom case study demonstrated the value of integrating phygital taxonomy and a/r/cography, both as an analytical tool and as an operational basis for hybrid practices. However, empirical application identified gaps that must be addressed before this model can be expanded to other artistic contexts. Analysis of the creations revealed that the predominance of the visual vector is insufficient to encompass the complexity of phygital experiences, making it necessary to expand the taxonomy with subcategories that integrate sound, tactile, kinaesthetic, and olfactory contributions, enabling multisensory evaluation. At the same time, it is essential to formalise ethical and cultural indicators that allow for the assessment of socio-cultural impacts, algorithmic authorship, accessibility, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. In addition, the creation of an autonomous axis dedicated to symbolic reinterpretation and memory is proposed, aimed at examining how identity and collective heritage are transformed by algorithms, ensuring their legitimacy. For predominantly virtual works, it is crucial to establish specific analytical intervals that ensure consistency when physical materiality is reduced, as well as criteria that clarify areas of complex intersection where multiple dimensions overlap, preventing interpretative gaps.

The consolidation of this revised taxonomy should be based on a programme of incremental prototypes, testing specific variables - such as the progressive introduction of haptic feedback - before their final integration. It is also necessary to replicate this approach in diverse socio-cultural contexts, including regional museums, community initiatives, and urban public spaces, to assess the model's sensitivity to local values and the expectations of heterogeneous audiences. Longitudinal collection mechanisms should complement this process to evaluate the persistence of impact and the evolution of user perceptions over time.

Given the rapid technological evolution, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality, the taxonomy should be conceived as a dynamic repository, subject to periodic updates. This process should be supported by transdisciplinary communities of practice and a version control system that ensures the traceability of changes and retrospective compatibility between successive versions.

With the integration of these multisensory, ethical-cultural, and symbolic extensions - and preserving the robustness already demonstrated by a/r/cography - the revised model becomes a holistic framework capable of keeping pace with the complexity of post-digital artistic practices, promoting inclusive, sustainable, and culturally responsible approaches.