Pleasure Machine 2/Blind Date/ Monaco Dance Forum 2002
Brief
description
The Pleasure Machine2/Blind Date is an multi-user choreographic environment
that experiments with estranging our common way of communicating,
getting us acquainted with the complex mediaized interactive potential of the
digital technologies of our time. As a metaphor for the struggle to overcome
the dualist framework of vision/mind touch/body, the visitors are offered the
opportunity to experience two 'places' at once and practice the continuity of
physicality and virtuality.
Two persons meet/date in a room completely blind to one another other if not
for two avatars of themselves seen through their VR glasses manipulated by two
computer users outside the room. The glasses function as an intermediate apparatus
between the participants' 'free motion' and control.
Is it possible to pass from the self-possessed body to the collective-possessed
one? Or further, from "body - body" to "body-system" pleasure
(i.e. collective pleasure co-modeled with apparatuses)?
The avatars' instructions interlace with the physical contact improvisation
providing an unstable motion equilibrium.
Comments from audience participants
Perfromance by the dancers Mageli Buono and Qwenddinz de la Quimaude, Grimaldi Forum, December 02.
Audience perfromance, Grimaldi Forum, December 02.
Description
Performance
artist : Yiannis Melanitis
Choreographer/performer: Isabel Valverde
Musician/composer Vassilios Kokkas
Java Programmer Nikitas M. Sgouros
Pleasure Machine2/Blind Date is a multi-user choreographic environment that
experiments estranging our common way of communicating, getting us acquainted
with the complex mediatized interactive potential of the digital technologies
of our time. As a metaphor for the struggle to overcome the dualist framework
of vision/mind touch/body, the visitors are offered the opportunity to experience
two 'places' at once and practice the continuity of physicality and virtuality.
Two persons meet/date in a room completely blind to one another other if not
for two avatars of themselves seen through their VR glasses manipulated by two
computer users outside the room.
The glasses function as an intermediate apparatus between the participants'
'free motion' and control. Is it possible to pass from the self-possessed body
to the collective-possessed one? Or further, from "body - body" to
"body-system" pleasure (i.e. collective pleasure co-modeled with apparatuses)?
The avatars' instructions interlace with the physical contact improvisation
providing unstable motion equilibrium.
Pleasure Machine2/Blind Date
This project challenges the earlier interactive performance in various crucial
ways. Whereas before there was only a one-to-one mediated interaction between
a performer and a user, with the duplication of the setting two or more simultaneous
and differently mediated interactions occur, and the visitors are to perform
as well. The performance aims at stimulating the visitors to more fully engage
in the physical contact interaction, and negotiate between this and simultaneous
visual/movement communication with the users at the computer. It addresses the
situation of being in two places at once as a metaphor for the struggle to overcome
the dualist framework of vision/mind touch/body. Depending on the visitors it
has the potential for having different interpretations as well as degrees of
involvement.
The graphic below is a simplified version of the multi-user environment. It
requires an empty closed space or a delimited area big enough for two people
to move without bumping into each other but small enough to generate that possibility
as well. The 2 performers (or visitors) will wear a par of 3d glasses each wired
to 2 pcs, which will be connected to 2 other pcs outside of the performance
space from which the 2 users interface with the performers. The difficulty is
that although there is a previous work it is substantially different, but at
this point only possible to conceptualize and antecipate its actualization.
Instead of having 2 we plan to have 4 participants at time, 2 performers and
2 interactors, which can change roles. In addition to the 'couple' of performer/interactor
interface, interacting with a virtual dancer/avatar via the glasstron glasses/PC,
each of the couples will try to establish a 'real' contact with the other couple
through this interface system. Basically, 'real' vision of the space and the
other performer will be erased and replaced by the glasstron glasses, through
which the performer/interactor will communicate with each other, and with the
other couple. Thus, instead of only one system, we would have two parallel systems
(two 'solo' performers) who will have to take in consideration/or be dependent
of the other performer, his/her movement in space, either wanting or not to
enter in contact. The 'real' contact in this case will be only physical, through
touch, smell, hearing, balance, etc, as both have 'vr' glasses on. This project
aims at experimenting with estranging our usual way of
communicating and getting acquainted and familiar with a more complex mediated
interactive characteristic of the technologies of our time. Thus PM2/Blind Date
explores the issue of continuity between 'real' and 'virtual' embodiments, through
the merge of physical and virtual mediated contacts using contact improvisation
and virtual reality interaction. For the 'live' person, will the virtual dancer
feel more 'real' than the 'real' person touched?
The performance will be a sofisticate version of playing the installation/a
demonstration, which would be then open to the public to perform. The music
will be part of the software program and the interactions with the avatar will
simultaneously produce real time random music.
The idea is to explore mediated movement communication between the 'spectators'
and performers through avatars. The question is not so much what will the
performers do, but what are viewers' conception of the performer and the work,
and how can the performer challenge it. Or the other way around: how can the
performer be challenged by the 'spectator'? Although in the present work the
'viewer' is only pushing-buttons and the performer performing, the way the work
is thought to be developed implies the participation of the 'viewer' as performer
as well, thus becoming a way for people to communicate/think through movement.
The development of the project will implied further programming of the avatar's
movement possibilities/variables in time and space by Nikitas M. Sgouros, as
well as an improvisational choreographic structure for the interaction between
the avatars and the physical performers movement. Both elements will constitute
a source of continuous input in a constant feedback loop/conversation between
the participants. This way the work becomes a partnering between virtual and
'live' performers. Vassilios Kokkas contribution was to construct a 'space division'
for the video image inserted into the MAX MSP program which is connected to
his polyphonic music program called 'Slicing Polyphony'.
The work requires 4 participants at the time:
2 dancers (or visitors in case it will become open for the public)
2 visitors at 2 computer interfaces
Technical Medium:
Computer system and software:
4 PCs with Matrox card [video output],
3D Java,
Java 1,3 Beta,
Java Media Framework,
Java Plug-in,
Ethernet and Internet connection,
2 pairs of Sony Glasstron glasses
Other equipment for installation :
Video projector and screen
4 loudspeakers
Supporters
PM2/Blind Date is supported by The Monaco Dance Forum 2002, The School of Fine
Arts, Athens, and by the Funda_o para a Cincia e a Tecnologia Programa Praxis
XXI,
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