"Sweat Reactive T-shirt" by Javier Serra
CCL v1.0 — AI acted as AI-led in Research, AI acted as Driver in Ideation and Reflection, AI acted as Co-Creator in Documentation. All other phases were fully human-led.
AI R4 H2 U3 F2 – v1.0
Introduction: from shame to systemAs part of the MDEF Microchallenge on Multimodal Systemic Artifacts, this project responds with a textile-based interface: a dual T-shirt artifact designed to engage with sweat as material, sensor, and message. The artifact will be activated during MDEFest through a live performance where sweat becomes visible data, challenging societal taboos and redefining the body as a site of knowledge.
Multimodal Systemic Artifacts are more than products, they are living systems. They sense, respond, and feed back into their environment through biological, analog, and performative means. In this spirit, my project brings sweat, often stigmatized, into visibility, not through sensors or screens, but through color, texture, and form.
Two T-shirts form the core of this system:
- T-Shirt #1: An expressive narrative artifact, dyed with BTB and infused with biomaterials and copper sulfate crystals. Each component references an experimental process with sweat: mordanting, dyeing, crystallization, turning shame into layered, poetic materiality.
- T-Shirt #2: A minimal, reactive data-gathering garment dyed with BTB only. Designed for real-world wear and sweat cartography, it records evolving patterns of perspiration in public, building a visual archive of bodily truth.
During the performance at MDEFest, I will wear the expressive shirt under infrared light, showcasing real-time reactions as I begin to sweat. Audience members witness the change, hear my story, and are invited to reflect on their own bodily perceptions. This system operates as anopen feedback loop, linking emotion, science, and social narrative.
Material testing & fabric selectionTo ensure reproducibility, I used real, affordable T-shirts rather than abstract swatches. Four initial garments were selected from Primark with diverse fiber compositions.
Each sample was split into three variants:A = no mordantB = alum mordant (1.7g per 300 mL)C = copper sulfate mordant (2.1g per 300 mL)
All were dyed overnight in the same BTB solution (diluted first in alcohol, then in hot water). After drying, color ranged from yellow-orange to soft yellow. The dye fixed differently depending on fabric and mordant.
Each sample was tested with six liquids (pH 2 to 10) using syringe drops:
- Vinegar (2)
- Vinegar + Water (5)
- Alcohol (6)
- Tap Water (7.5)
- Stored Sweat (8.5)
- Bicarbonate (10)
Key observations:
- Sweat triggered green/blue shifts but faded quickly.
- Bicarbonate left strong, lasting blue stains.
- Vinegar-treated samples only regained reactivity after full drying.
- Sample 2: Best aesthetic outcome: white-to-blue halo with poetic fades.
- Sample 4: More stable but flatter matte transitions.
- Sample 3: Weakest reactivity.
To explore polyester further, I added three new sport shirts from Decathlon:
Samples 2, 4, 5, and 6 were mordanted with alum (10% weight), then dyed individually for 5 minutes each in the same BTB bath. The final tone was a soft yellow-white: ideal for chromatic reactivity. Sample 4 absorbed more dye due to cotton content.
- Sample 2 applied with repeated sweat cycles created layered blue halos.
- Sample 6 showed improved visual effect due to its dual-fabric texture.
- Sample 5 was discarded due to poor reactivity.
- BTB overdosing led to reddish tones and reduced pH responsiveness.
Crystallization attempts:
- T-Shirt 4 sleeve submerged with bottle inside: liquid spread uncontrolled, failed.
- T-Shirt 5 sleeves in BTB + CuSO₄: again, absorption ruined localized crystallization.
- Direct CuSO₄ application on swatches formed microcrystals but stiffened the fabric.
Biomaterial application:
- Phrase “Sweat Matters” written on Sample 6 with biomaterial via syringe.
- Plastic trays inside prevented bleeding.
- Biomaterial reacted slowly but distinctly to acidic/basic drops, creating layered visuals.
Final testing involved:
- Wearing T-shirt 6 in front of audience.
- Injecting sweat manually using a syringe (due to lack of natural sweating).
- Color changes were visible but less vivid than small-scale drops.
- Sleeve washed in vinegar-water removed stain but left yellow halo.
- Reactivity post-cleaning is being evaluated.
Future improvement: use tighter fit T-shirt (smaller size) to increase sweat contact and visual intensity during live use
Comments