No subject
Sat Oct 8 08:16:18 EST 2011
and write this experience, which is, once again, one of dwelling more =
and more into my ageing ailing body. Indeed, Paul Klee used to say that =
the child is born old, well, also I would add, physically-wise, for =
autopoiesis to emerging ontogenetic processes, non-linear biological =
time spread from and into me. Into this existence and art practice, =
biological life processes as well as of ?un-being?, beyond a =
crypto-nihilistic Being. I am intrigued by the enquiry into our =
existential ground. Alas, the word existential conjures up in me an =
existentialist way of experiencing grounded in (a) being. This is an =
often perilous ground, hiding an essentialist and dualistic =
constitution. From Brian Massumi I read: ?it is not enough for process =
concepts of this kind to be ontological. They must be ontogenetic: they =
must be equal to emergence?. [Parables for the Virtual: Movement, =
Affect,<BR>
Sensation by Brian Massumi, Duke University Press, Durham and London, =
2002, p.8]. And again: ?The home, however, is less a container than a =
membrane: a filter of exteriorities continually entering and traversing =
it? [ibid p.85].<BR>
The body-home, the body-mind, the bodymind, the body-and-mind. Bounded =
beyond a duality without monism or dualism but, I also consider, beyond =
holism (surely another form of totalizing monism).<BR>
So now, my practice is a search and quest for remaining grounded in a =
physical and spatial ordinary sense, open into the simultaneous =
unfolding of site, space and place, with their interconnected =
specificities and histories.<BR>
I can now find, into this writing a feeling of constructive dialogue, =
from a forum asking questions which, somehow I find difficult to answer =
(?). I have spent my week/week-end pondering on these, and on my =
relationship to my body as an open echoing environment through its =
boundaries, and one which becomes and at the same time differs from its =
ailments. This gives me the chance to stop once more, dotting my life =
with moments of stilling in thought and di-stilling motion (once, and =
once again). So, I have no chance but to welcome the alterity of a =
?passing? ailment, which bounds me, more than ever into this infinitely =
spacious corporeality, thanks to those boundaries.<BR>
I take your input Johannes and I ask the same question to myself, but =
unfortunately I cannot find an answer, perhaps, in thinking of value and =
knowledge/s ?how knowledges are created or valued??<BR>
I assume, my and our knowledge/s are always embodied ones ? although I =
might fall and risk the reductionism I am trying to avoid ? I say that =
we are always steeped in a chiasmic corporeal knowledge. This knowledge =
is not of an anthropocentric type, of course, as only through an =
awareness ? which we realize through entrancing, breathing, moving, =
sitting, stopping, speeding, decelerating and dancing practices ? we are =
always immanently and fortunately in a friendship with gravity. =
Therefore we are always? embodied, and indubitably I deem that there is =
no need to create an embodied experience, as one is already what one is, =
or is not (even in illusory terms, I suppose). My question is how then =
do we realize this? In the (fore)words of Sergio Manghi to Gregory =
Bateson?s Mind and Nature he states: ?it is the necessity to take care =
of our responsiveness to the pattern which connects [?]? and then that =
this is a way ?that is self-reflective<BR>
and participatory, a way that can reveal to us ? by continually placing =
it in wider perspective ? the extraordinary story of what we already =
know, what we already are, for good as well as for evil, in all its =
inexhaustible, surprising novelty? [Sergio Manghi, Forewords to Gregory =
Bateson?s Mind and Nature, A Necessary Unity, Hampton Press Inc. =
Cresskill, New Jersey, 2001].<BR>
?<BR>
Phew! Now I am exhausted; I need to stop (and to look under my =
feet).<BR>
?<BR>
Best wishes,<BR>
Fabrizio<BR>
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<BR>
Message: 3<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:56:43 +0100<BR>
From: Johannes Birringer <Johannes.Birringer at brunel.ac.uk<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:Johannes.Birringer at brunel.ac.uk">mailto:Johannes.Birringer=
@brunel.ac.uk</A>>><BR>
To: soft_skinned_space <empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au">mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.un=
sw.edu.au</A>>><BR>
Subject: Re: [-empyre-] : "(E)MOTION FREQUENCY deceleration" / =
second<BR>
week, introducing our guests<BR>
Message-ID:<BR>
=
<DF657B70CB20304DB745D84933F94B1E01AD4F6DD4 at v-exmb01.academic.windsor&=
lt;<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:DF657B70CB20304DB745D84933F94B1E01AD4F6DD4 at v-exmb01.academ=
ic.windsor">mailto:DF657B70CB20304DB745D84933F94B1E01AD4F6DD4 at v-exmb01.ac=
ademic.windsor</A>>><BR>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"windows-1254"<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
dear all,<BR>
we are starting the second week of our workshop-forum,<BR>
and after Michael's careful and considerate post, in which he tried to =
summarize and interweave some of the thoughts that were moved forward =
last week,<BR>
my role as moderator is made so much easier........ I wish to thank our =
discussants from last week for having provided fresh ground for our =
theme, and planted some seeds. I had invited a gardener from the =
east-midlands to speak to ask about gardening, but he preferred not to =
and suggested he was not keeping up with matters academic. I insisted =
our forum was not academic, but he was unmoved.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Well, it is completely open to our other discussants, and you our =
resonant soft-skinned studio, to continue the thought-movement.<BR>
it's a great pleasure to introduce our guests for this week:<BR>
<BR>
WEEK 2<BR>
^ Claudia Robles<BR>
<BR>
Claudia Robles was born in Bogot? (Colombia). Currently, she lives in =
Cologne (Germany). She finished studies in Fine Arts (1990) in =
Bogot? (Colombia). She pursued postgraduate studies such as: Film =
Animation (1992-1993) in Milan (Italy), MA in Visual Arts (1993- 1995) =
in Geneva (Switzerland) and Sound Design and Electronic Composition in =
Essen (Germany) She was artist in residence (2004-2006) at the ZKM =
Center in Karslruhe. Her most relevant work presented there was =
the piece ?Seed/Tree? (audiovisual Installation/Butoh performance with =
live electronics). Her currently theoretical and practical research is =
about the use of bio-data in real-time multimedia performances.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Nil?fer Oval?o?lu<BR>
<BR>
Nil?fer received her bachelor?s degree in sculpture specializing in =
stone carving at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, ?stanbul in 2001. She =
was then awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study her MFA at State =
University in New York at Stony Brook where she prepared a series of =
video and performance work. She trained in physical theatre at London =
International School of Performing Arts from 2006-08. Physical Theatre =
has been the master of all her expression. Since 2002, her practice =
transformed from digital performance to drama sketches that unveil the =
grotesque, researching the bizarre corners of being human. Her work =
expands grotesque musical sketch, cabaret, physical theatre and comical =
absurd worlds. Her past work consists of elements of these in video and =
digital performance. Sh has recently finished her practice based PhD at =
Brunel University?s Drama Department, entitled ?The Female Bouffon?, and =
is now a lecturer at Istanbul Ayd?n University?s Drama Department.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Jack Butler<BR>
Jack responded to the invitation by writing: It is so very nice to hear =
from you. When I read the words, 'the desire for deceleration', I felt =
my breathing slow, my blood pressure shift down and my eyes tear over. I =
think I would like to join your soft list. Although I have given =
material form to 'time', experienced as epigenesis, modeling human =
embryological development over many years of trans-disciplinary visual =
art/medicine research, and experienced time in sensuous play through =
daily life with my Inuit art-making collaborators in the Canadian =
Arctic, I have never approached my desire for deceleration (directly or =
indirectly), with the written word. I would love to know more about your =
overarching empyre project and would be please to accept your invitation =
to join the October forum. Please let me know how to proceed and I hope =
to continue our conversation started on that bench outside the Art =
Centre at U of Toronto.*<BR>
<BR>
[Jack is one of the authors/co-editors, with Ruby Arngna'naaq, Sheila =
Butler, Patrick Mahon and William Noah, of the amazing book Art and Cold =
Cash (YYZBOOKS, 2009), which stages the encounter between ?southern? =
artists and Inuit artists examining the discourses around money, the =
complicit and at times awkward relationship between southern market =
forces and the changing cultural climate of the North.]<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Jennifer McColl<BR>
<BR>
Jennifer is a Chilean dancer, performance theorist, and visual artist =
currently based in England. She has finished her MPhil in Performing Art =
Research at Brunel University, London, and now resides in Spain. =
Her work as a performer and theorist has deepened on topics related with =
dance and technology. She has presented lectures in South America and =
Europe, and published books and articles in different countries. Her =
actual research focuses on the development of science of work in =
relation with the integration of technology for dance and performance in =
different historical contexts. Her artistic practice is based on the =
relationship between body and technology, exploring different media and =
disciplines for the generation of body-image compositions. Her actual =
work presents a collaborative methodology, focusing on the creation of =
multimedia installations that compose architectural environments from =
where to present the relationship between body and space.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Gordana Novakovic ;<BR>
<BR>
Originally a painter, with 12 solo exhibitions to her credit, Gordana =
has more than twenty years? experience of developing and exhibiting =
large-scale time-based media projects. Her artistic practice and =
theoretical work that intersects art, science and advanced digital =
technologies has formed five Cycles: ?Parallel Worlds,? ?The Shirt of a =
Happy Man,? ?Infonoise? and ?Fugue.? A constant mark of her work =
throughout her experiments with new technologies has been her =
distinctive method of creating an effective cross-disciplinary framework =
for the emergence of synergy through collaboration. Gordana exhibited =
and lectured at leading interdisciplinary festivals and symposia, and =
artistic and scientific conferences; such as ISEA, Towards a Science of =
Consciousness and Mutamorphosis most recently. Alongside her artistic =
practice, in the last five years Gordana has been artist-in-residence at =
Computer Science Department, University College London, where she has =
founded and convenes th<BR>
e Tesla Art and Science Group. She has received a number of =
international and British academic awards.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Olu.Taiwo<BR>
<BR>
Olu Taiwo graduated from the Laban Centre with an MA in Choreography and =
wrote his PhD on Performance philosophy. He teaches dance, visual =
development and performance in a combination of real and virtual formats =
and has a background in Fine Art. He is an actor, dancer and drummer =
performing in national and international contexts. His main interests =
are to propagate 21st century issues concerning the interaction between =
body, identity, audience and technology. This includes research based on =
both his concepts of the Return beat (West African rhythmic =
sensibility), and the Physical journal (Embodied knowledge and memory). =
He performed a lead role in Suna No Onna iand UKIYO [Moveable Worlds], =
and developed Harmonious Interruptions. a new piece with Ace Dance co =
based in Newbury, and a new solo work, Interfacing. He is particularly =
interested, at the moment, in redefining the nature of Practice and =
being as a goal and state of becoming. This is to say, Practice as =
methodology and<BR>
Alaafia (Yoruba) or Eudiamenia (Greek) as outcome with the =
development of techniques as research data.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
with many regards<BR>
<BR>
Johannes Birringer<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
To subscribe via the World Wide Web, visit<BR>
<A =
HREF=3D"http://lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/empyre">http://lis=
ts.cofa.unsw.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/empyre</A><BR>
<BR>
Send your own posting to:<BR>
empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au">mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.un=
sw.edu.au</A>><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Message: 4<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:27:58 +0100<BR>
From: Johannes Birringer <Johannes.Birringer at brunel.ac.uk<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:Johannes.Birringer at brunel.ac.uk">mailto:Johannes.Birringer=
@brunel.ac.uk</A>>><BR>
To: soft_skinned_space <empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au">mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.un=
sw.edu.au</A>>><BR>
Subject: Re: [-empyre-] : "(E)MOTION FREQUENCY deceleration" / =
second<BR>
week, introducing our guests<BR>
Message-ID:<BR>
=
<DF657B70CB20304DB745D84933F94B1E01AD4F6DE3 at v-exmb01.academic.windsor&=
lt;<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:DF657B70CB20304DB745D84933F94B1E01AD4F6DE3 at v-exmb01.academ=
ic.windsor">mailto:DF657B70CB20304DB745D84933F94B1E01AD4F6DE3 at v-exmb01.ac=
ademic.windsor</A>>><BR>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"windows-1254"<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
dear all,<BR>
we are starting the second week of our workshop-forum,<BR>
and after Michael's careful and considerate post, in which he tried to =
summarize and interweave some of the thoughts that were moved forward =
last week,<BR>
my role as moderator is made so much easier........ I wish to thank our =
discussants from last week for having provided fresh ground for our =
theme, and planted some seeds. I had invited a gardener from the =
east-midlands to speak to ask about gardening, but he preferred not to =
and suggested he was not keeping up with matters academic. I insisted =
our forum was not academic, but he was unmoved.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Well, it is completely open to our other discussants, and you our =
resonant soft-skinned studio, to continue the thought-movement.<BR>
it's a great pleasure to introduce our guests for this week:<BR>
<BR>
WEEK 2<BR>
^ Claudia Robles<BR>
<BR>
Claudia Robles was born in Bogot? (Colombia). Currently, she lives in =
Cologne (Germany). She finished studies in Fine Arts (1990) in =
Bogot? (Colombia). She pursued postgraduate studies such as: Film =
Animation (1992-1993) in Milan (Italy), MA in Visual Arts (1993- 1995) =
in Geneva (Switzerland) and Sound Design and Electronic Composition in =
Essen (Germany) She was artist in residence (2004-2006) at the ZKM =
Center in Karslruhe. Her most relevant work presented there was =
the piece ?Seed/Tree? (audiovisual Installation/Butoh performance with =
live electronics). Her currently theoretical and practical research is =
about the use of bio-data in real-time multimedia performances.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Nil?fer Oval?o?lu<BR>
<BR>
Nil?fer received her bachelor?s degree in sculpture specializing in =
stone carving at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, ?stanbul in 2001. She =
was then awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study her MFA at State =
University in New York at Stony Brook where she prepared a series of =
video and performance work. She trained in physical theatre at London =
International School of Performing Arts from 2006-08. Physical Theatre =
has been the master of all her expression. Since 2002, her practice =
transformed from digital performance to drama sketches that unveil the =
grotesque, researching the bizarre corners of being human. Her work =
expands grotesque musical sketch, cabaret, physical theatre and comical =
absurd worlds. Her past work consists of elements of these in video and =
digital performance. Sh has recently finished her practice based PhD at =
Brunel University?s Drama Department, entitled ?The Female Bouffon?, and =
is now a lecturer at Istanbul Ayd?n University?s Drama Department.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Jack Butler<BR>
Jack responded to the invitation by writing: It is so very nice to hear =
from you. When I read the words, 'the desire for deceleration', I felt =
my breathing slow, my blood pressure shift down and my eyes tear over. I =
think I would like to join your soft list. Although I have given =
material form to 'time', experienced as epigenesis, modeling human =
embryological development over many years of trans-disciplinary visual =
art/medicine research, and experienced time in sensuous play through =
daily life with my Inuit art-making collaborators in the Canadian =
Arctic, I have never approached my desire for deceleration (directly or =
indirectly), with the written word. I would love to know more about your =
overarching empyre project and would be please to accept your invitation =
to join the October forum. Please let me know how to proceed and I hope =
to continue our conversation started on that bench outside the Art =
Centre at U of Toronto.*<BR>
<BR>
[Jack is one of the authors/co-editors, with Ruby Arngna'naaq, Sheila =
Butler, Patrick Mahon and William Noah, of the amazing book Art and Cold =
Cash (YYZBOOKS, 2009), which stages the encounter between ?southern? =
artists and Inuit artists examining the discourses around money, the =
complicit and at times awkward relationship between southern market =
forces and the changing cultural climate of the North.]<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Jennifer McColl<BR>
<BR>
Jennifer is a Chilean dancer, performance theorist, and visual artist =
currently based in England. She has finished her MPhil in Performing Art =
Research at Brunel University, London, and now resides in Spain. =
Her work as a performer and theorist has deepened on topics related with =
dance and technology. She has presented lectures in South America and =
Europe, and published books and articles in different countries. Her =
actual research focuses on the development of science of work in =
relation with the integration of technology for dance and performance in =
different historical contexts. Her artistic practice is based on the =
relationship between body and technology, exploring different media and =
disciplines for the generation of body-image compositions. Her actual =
work presents a collaborative methodology, focusing on the creation of =
multimedia installations that compose architectural environments from =
where to present the relationship between body and space.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Gordana Novakovic ;<BR>
<BR>
Originally a painter, with 12 solo exhibitions to her credit, Gordana =
has more than twenty years? experience of developing and exhibiting =
large-scale time-based media projects. Her artistic practice and =
theoretical work that intersects art, science and advanced digital =
technologies has formed five Cycles: ?Parallel Worlds,? ?The Shirt of a =
Happy Man,? ?Infonoise? and ?Fugue.? A constant mark of her work =
throughout her experiments with new technologies has been her =
distinctive method of creating an effective cross-disciplinary framework =
for the emergence of synergy through collaboration. Gordana exhibited =
and lectured at leading interdisciplinary festivals and symposia, and =
artistic and scientific conferences; such as ISEA, Towards a Science of =
Consciousness and Mutamorphosis most recently. Alongside her artistic =
practice, in the last five years Gordana has been artist-in-residence at =
Computer Science Department, University College London, where she has =
founded and convenes th<BR>
e Tesla Art and Science Group. She has received a number of =
international and British academic awards.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
^ Olu.Taiwo<BR>
<BR>
Olu Taiwo graduated from the Laban Centre with an MA in Choreography and =
wrote his PhD on Performance philosophy. He teaches dance, visual =
development and performance in a combination of real and virtual formats =
and has a background in Fine Art. He is an actor, dancer and drummer =
performing in national and international contexts. His main interests =
are to propagate 21st century issues concerning the interaction between =
body, identity, audience and technology. This includes research based on =
both his concepts of the Return beat (West African rhythmic =
sensibility), and the Physical journal (Embodied knowledge and memory). =
He performed a lead role in Suna No Onna iand UKIYO [Moveable Worlds], =
and developed Harmonious Interruptions. a new piece with Ace Dance co =
based in Newbury, and a new solo work, Interfacing. He is particularly =
interested, at the moment, in redefining the nature of Practice and =
being as a goal and state of becoming. This is to say, Practice as =
methodology and<BR>
Alaafia (Yoruba) or Eudiamenia (Greek) as outcome with the =
development of techniques as research data.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
with many regards<BR>
<BR>
Johannes Birringer<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
To subscribe via the World Wide Web, visit<BR>
<A =
HREF=3D"http://lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/empyre">http://lis=
ts.cofa.unsw.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/empyre</A><BR>
<BR>
Send your own posting to:<BR>
empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au">mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.un=
sw.edu.au</A>><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Message: 5<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:42:52 +0100<BR>
From: "David Hughes 19" <davidhughes19 at btinternet.com<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:davidhughes19 at btinternet.com">mailto:davidhughes19 at btinter=
net.com</A>>><BR>
To: <empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au">mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.un=
sw.edu.au</A>>><BR>
Subject: [-empyre-] The second phase<BR>
Message-ID: <000f01cc8763$464b16e0$d2e144a0$@btinternet.com><BR>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii"<BR>
<BR>
Then the universe started to decelerate and expand more slowly.<BR>
<BR>
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<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Message: 6<BR>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:08:48 +0100<BR>
From: Gordana Novakovic <gordana.novakovic at gmail.com<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:gordana.novakovic at gmail.com">mailto:gordana.novakovic at gmai=
l.com</A>>><BR>
To: empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au">mailto:empyre at lists.cofa.un=
sw.edu.au</A>><BR>
Subject: [-empyre-] speed addiction, interactive =
technologies, some<BR>
notes on science<BR>
Message-ID:<BR>
=
<CANTmkAM9kT5AaYXorW=3DrMJrLfbDxVnMX=3DO6DdiKAvSQ7veJ6cg at mail.gmail.co=
m<<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:O6DdiKAvSQ7veJ6cg at mail.gmail.com">mailto:O6DdiKAvSQ7veJ6cg=
@mail.gmail.com</A>>><BR>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3Dwindows-1252<BR>
<BR>
Hello and good evening.<BR>
<BR>
Thank you, Johannes, for your very kind introduction. Coming from a<BR>
bit different background, I am quite ignorant about lots of theories<BR>
and practices that you are fluent in and it?s been quite a lot of<BR>
fast-forward learning for me which I most appreciate. I will start<BR>
with some kind of brief introduction and hopefully through the<BR>
evolution of the discussion I will be more clear where my thoughts =
and<BR>
experience might contribute to the overall topic ? probably by =
adding<BR>
more unanswered questions. I?d like to apologise for what might =
appear<BR>
as a bit dry tone, but ? at the moment, I am working on a grant<BR>
applications ? not the only one obviously, trying to articulate my<BR>
ideas into a language that scientists can relate to, and than =
funding<BR>
bodies. It feels a bit schizophrenic ? these streams of thoughts<BR>
running in parallel through my mind, so please bear with me.<BR>
<BR>
I have been reading your posts with delight and great interest, and<BR>
reflected on stillness, silence, rhythm; stillness through movement<BR>
particularly resonant...and how all of that relates to the digital<BR>
technology saturated contemporary urban environment and art forms =
that<BR>
exploit digital technologies. Speed pollution. The name that =
comes<BR>
first to my mind is Paul Virilio and his ideas about how speed and<BR>
acceleration mark and shape technology enabled world, and his<BR>
reflections on dromposphere in relation to war, media and technology<BR>
and contemporary society. Are people becoming addicted to speed? How<BR>
and why?<BR>
<BR>
I will start with some notes on interactive art. I believe that<BR>
interactive art can be defined exclusively if addressed as a =
process,<BR>
more specifically: a complex system of interdependent processes. The<BR>
clear boundaries of an installation cannot be defined in the same =
way<BR>
as we cannot define the clear boundaries of a participant's body. =
Our<BR>
bodies, transparent for environmental influences, within interactive<BR>
environment become dissolved. As opposed to fine art artefacts,<BR>
interactive installation is not a passive reflective object. It<BR>
creates a dynamic feedback process between human body and the =
system.<BR>
It is the participant that sets interaction in motion and induces =
the<BR>
process of interaction that depends upon her presence and activity. =
On<BR>
the other hand, interactive installation is active, emissive,<BR>
overpowers the human body; through interaction, body becomes an<BR>
absorbing receiver. There should be no question about it: the<BR>
installation navigates our perception rather than we make sense of =
the<BR>
perceptual situation. Compared to cinematographic forms and fine art<BR>
objects, the level of mediation in this perceptual situation puts =
the<BR>
participant in the position to replace perception of the object with<BR>
an openness in observing the perception itself.<BR>
<BR>
The perceptual hypotheses offered by the participant will depend on<BR>
the complex sum of cultural habits and lived experience. But equally<BR>
important is the current state of the body and its receptiveness to<BR>
specific sensory stimuli which depends on inter-relationship between<BR>
such factors as minor or major organ misbalance, hydration, time of<BR>
the day, emotional state. Depending on the way that sensory stimuli<BR>
are orchestrated, experiencing an installation can sharpen attention<BR>
and provide profound kinaesthetic experience in a unique way. In<BR>
situations of sensory overload it can disperse attention and cause<BR>
different negative side effects manifested as minor nuisances such =
as<BR>
headache, eye or ear irritation. Occasionally it can cause more<BR>
serious disturbances such as nausea, vertigo or even epileptic<BR>
seizure. But what happens within our bodies when there are no such<BR>
dramatic manifestations?<BR>
<BR>
My long time commitment have been to design installations that =
engage<BR>
participants in a spontaneous non-verbal communication between two<BR>
entities. The unanticipated responses from the audiences inspired my<BR>
search for understanding the nature of interactive interfaces and =
how<BR>
do they affect my potential participants-to-be. And I started =
looking<BR>
for the answers. Now, after years of research, I have more =
questions,<BR>
but hopefully more focused and articulate.<BR>
<BR>
For the last few years, from the field of phenomenology (in =
particular<BR>
Maurice Merleau-Ponty) and consciousness studies my interests have<BR>
shifted to cognitive sciences and psychoneurology and<BR>
neurophenomenology, firmly rooted in the Mearleau-Ponty?s<BR>
philosophical concepts (Alva No? among others advancing action in<BR>
perception has already been brought into discussion.). Another<BR>
prominent philosopher from the field that I think might be quite<BR>
useful and hopefully relevant to our discussion is Shaun Gallagher<BR>
(also expert on meditation) with his theory about body schema and =
body<BR>
image that explains how our movements are ?decided? before we become<BR>
conscious of our intentions as a part of natural coupling between =
the<BR>
human and the environment and how the interaction with the world<BR>
shapes our body/mind.<BR>
<BR>
Probably the strongest scientific paradigm that bridges the famous<BR>
body/mind gap and provides empirical evidences for philosophical<BR>
concepts of phenomenology and embodied mind is the field of brain<BR>
plasticity (pioneered by the late Paul Bach-y-Rita, followed by<BR>
Michael Merzenich, and others). It shows that the brain is not fixed<BR>
and closed, but very open to the influences from the environment, =
that<BR>
it changes constantly through interaction with it and through the<BR>
processes of learning. It turned out that the brain is especially<BR>
susceptible to digital technologies.<BR>
<BR>
This scientific paradigm can particularly be useful in understanding<BR>
the nature of addictions. It tells us that the origin of addictions<BR>
resides in the brain?s chemistry. If we are engaged in some activity<BR>
that triggers secretion of so called ?hormones of pleasure?, or<BR>
?happiness? such as the neurotransmitters dopamine, endorphin and<BR>
serotonin, we soon develop a craving for this particular stimulus, =
and<BR>
we want more of it for pretty much obvious reason. In case of, for<BR>
example, shoot-them-up computer games, according to some research, =
it<BR>
seems that the speed of actions/editing (the rhythm?) is the major<BR>
player in producing the feeling of pleasure rather than it?s content<BR>
(which cannot be disregarded, of course). However, we soon become, =
so<BR>
to speak, resistant to certain stimuli and need stronger sensations =
in<BR>
order to get desired bran?s response. All neat and jolly, but how =
can<BR>
we get proper scientific investigation that will analyse<BR>
psycho-neurological basis for real life experiences?<BR>
<BR>
Here we are faced with the limitations of the current scientific<BR>
methodologies and technologies available to empirically study these<BR>
phenomena because most of them are designed to analyse motionless<BR>
individuals in non-natural laboratory environments, often ?buried? =
in<BR>
the sarcophaguses of various brain scanners. What do these =
experiments<BR>
tell us about the lived experience? I had lots of delight reading<BR>
No??s latest iconoclastic book with a very provocative title Out of<BR>
our Heads (No?, 2009) where he bitterly criticises these =
technologies<BR>
and seeing brain as the only key for understanding perception,<BR>
emotion, consciousness. He says: ?Our culture is obsessed with the<BR>
brain - how it perceives; how it remembers; how it determines our<BR>
intelligence, our morality, our likes and our dislikes. It?s widely<BR>
believed that consciousness itself, that Holy Grail of science and<BR>
philosophy, will soon be given a neural explanation. And yet, after<BR>
decades of research, only one proposition about how the brain makes =
us<BR>
conscious?how it gives rise to sensation, feeling, and<BR>
subjectivity?has emerged unchallenged: we don?t have a clue.?<BR>
<BR>
It will be interesting to see whether and how No??s approach, and =
the<BR>
broader field of brain plasticity in neuroscience, will affect our<BR>
understanding of the visual and multimedia experiences that occur in<BR>
response to digitally mediated data and artworks in the future. One<BR>
thing is certain: the current focus on the technologies themselves =
is<BR>
misguided, since what can and will be perceived is determined as =
much<BR>
by the internal nature of the perceiver as by the external<BR>
manipulations of the objects of perception.<BR>
<BR>
One of the problems in understanding the true nature of interactive<BR>
art I believe comes from the theory that links these art forms to<BR>
plastic arts, video or cinematography. When I conceived my first<BR>
interactive piece in 1994-6, I was immediately struck by the =
positive<BR>
response and interest for the piece - by the experimental theatre<BR>
community. Since then, I have been looking at (and for) theatrical<BR>
elements in interactive installation. That led me to explore Artaud<BR>
and ritual and ask the question: is interactive installation a new<BR>
theatrical form? Might it actually be a form of Aratud?s Total =
Theatre<BR>
(of cruelty)? And if so ? is it leading us back to the origins of<BR>
theatre: ritual? Does it have the capacity to be developed into a<BR>
contemporary, digital technology enabled ritual? Can it provide us<BR>
with complex experiences that ritual enables?<BR>
<BR>
Recently, again chance played its role in directing my work. When I<BR>
exhibited my ongoing piece, based on the computational model of the<BR>
function of the human immune system designed to induce meditative,<BR>
contemplative experience, to my surprise, I was approached by a few<BR>
butoh dancers who wanted to collaborate with me on the piece. My<BR>
knowledge about butoh was very vague, but I learned a bit, and my<BR>
intuition was strongly in favour of it. But what, how...? And than =
in<BR>
April this year - the 1st Artaud Forum, yet another Johannes? brain<BR>
child. Two physical workshops with Biyo Kikuchi and Olu Taiwo.<BR>
Complete tectonic shift. It was this physical experience guided by =
the<BR>
real masters that woke up my poor untrained (not to mention aging)<BR>
body to bring me clarity of mind. I knew what I wanted to do/make. =
It<BR>
was a magic moment of understanding, or anticipating, the reflection<BR>
and expended consciousness through movement. Now comes the hard bit =
of<BR>
materialising the vision. And I?ll stop here, where the grant<BR>
application starts (or I might agree ?it is gardening that makes =
more<BR>
sense by the end - probably true, go out first thing in the morning,<BR>
and join our young upstairs neighbour who has been planting some<BR>
bamboos at the back of our garden).<BR>
<BR>
just a couple of references, but if anybody is interested in some<BR>
particular one, I would be of course happy to oblige:<BR>
<BR>
No?, Alva., (2009). Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain, =
and<BR>
Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness. Hill and Wang.<BR>
<BR>
Gallagher, Shaun., (2006). How the Body Shapes the Mind. =
Clarendon<BR>
Press; New Ed edition (12 Oct 2006)<BR>
<BR>
With best regards,<BR>
<BR>
Gordana<BR>
<BR>
www.gordananovakovic.net<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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