MONDAY 13TH JULY 2009 5.30PM WW101, AUT, MOUNT ST, AUCKLAND
DOES THE SCREEN BECOME AN EXTENSION OF THE BODY – THE SKIN? A CAMERA AN EXTENSION OF OUR EYES? – DOES THE BODY BECOME THE SITE? READING THEN DRAWING THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SPACE WHO THEN BECOME THE PERFORMERS – INADVERTENTLY, REFLECTED BACK AT THEMSELVES? HOW DOES THE BODY NEGOTIATE BOTH SCREEN AND PHYSICAL SPACE SIMULTANEOUSLY?
TEST SITE 01 w a s a performative interactive installation involving two performers, one wearing a 15” monitor o n t h e front of the b o d y with a tiny wireless c a m e r a d i r e c t e d at p a r t i c i p a n t s. This t r a n s p o r ted the participants i m a g e s b a c k t o an adjoining, but separate space t o a n o t h e r p e r f o r m e r w h o r e s p o n d s b a c k t o t h e the participants , t h e y s e e t h i s p e r f o r m e r o n t h e monitor m o u n t e d t o t h e b o d y o f t h e p e r f o r m e r i n t h e r o o m with t h e m . I t t o o k a w h i l e f o r t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s t o w o r k o u t w h e t h e r t h i s w a s l i v e o r n o t a n d w h e t h e r t h e p e r f o r m e r c o u l d s e e t h e m o r n o t a n d w h e r e t h e p e r f o r m e r w a s l o c a t e d . These questions were verbalized. The atmosphere was relaxed enough for the participants to ask be forthright with questions, interact, play and then attempt to interact at greater levels.
T h e T E S T S I T E s e e m e d t o n a t u r a l l y c o n f i g u r e i t s e l f i n t o a b o u t f o u r p h a s e s . I n t h e f i r s t i n s t a n c e , t h e r e was a n u r g e n c y f o r t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s t o u n c o v e r t h e t r u t h , t h e h o w a n d t h e w h e r e . T h e s e c o n d p h a s e w a s t o i n t e r a c t w i t h t h e i m a g e o n t h e s c r e e n ( a n d t h e r e m o t e p e r s o n ) t h e n t o b e c o m e d i s i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e s c r e e n a n d m o r e i n t e r e s t e d i n s o c i a l i z i n g w i t h t h e r e a l b o d i e s i n t h e s p a c e a n d f i n a l l y t o r e c o n f i g u r e a n d f i n d n e w w a y s o f u s i n g t h e s c r e e n a n d t h e c a m e r a . F e e d b a c k l o o p s b e c a m e i r r e s i s t i b l e a n d t h e r e w a s a l o n g s e s s i o n o f p l a y i n g w i t h t h e f e e d b a c k f r o m t h e c a m e r a . What is t h i s d e s i r e t h a t w e h a v e f o r f e e d b a c k ? O r a d e s i r e t o p u t o u r s e l v e s i n t h e c e n t r e o f t h e i m a g e ?
F u r t h e r d e c e p t i o n , i l l u s i o n , c o n f u s i o n , d i s o r i e n t a t i o n a n d d e s t a b i l i z a t i o n o f o u r s e n s i n g s y s t e m s a r e p o s s i b l e a v e n u e s f o r f u r t h e r t e s t s i t e s .
M a k i n g a n e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t i s c o n d u c i v e t o i n t e r a c t i o n r e q u i r e s s o m e f i n e – t u n i n g i n t e r r i t o r y w h e r e t h e b o r d e r s b e t w e e n p e r f o r m a t i v e , o b j e c t , p a r t i c i p a n t , v i e w e r / v i e w e d a n d p e r f o r m e r a r e u n c l e a r .
