Rhetorical Bodies

While virtual technologies are often understood as a medium to escape or leave our body behind, this ongoing and open-ended research project invites two people to engage their bodies physically while meeting virtually through gestures, motions and play.

Actual and virtual

Upon putting on the headset and wearables and entering the networked XR experience, the immersant‘s physical activities are rendered visible to each other as fluid shapes that can merge with each other and their environment. The capturing of their hands and tracking of their feet, hips and arms allows them to experience the constant reconfiguration and renegotiation of space in between their bodies. The resulting dynamics gradually dissolve the binary division between the actual and the virtual, between reality and imagination, and enable the immersants to experience the fleeting sensation of being present in more than one body at once.

Practical

The experience is included in your entrance ticket to the space, however a timeslot reservation is required. You will first get an introduction by someone from MU, who will explain how the headset works and they will help you get into and get out of the gear. The whole experience including intro and outro takes approximately 30 minutes. It's preferable to come with a friend/partner/family member/second person.