- Venue
- Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
- Location
- West Midlands
Extract/Insert
Where virtual and real worlds collide
The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry
From 27th October to 25th November 2013
Written by Melanie King, 6th November 2012
Introduction
Walking through the Herbert Gallery and Museum I was anticipating an encounter with a high-tech, augmented reality exhibition. I was also aware of the presence of the pre-historic in the Herbert’s ‘The Dinosaurs are here!’ exhibition, the irony of such juxtaposition did not escape me whilst awaiting entry into the futuristic world of Extract/Insert, an immersive 3D experience that meshes the real world with that of the virtual[1].
Involuntary & Improvised Arm – Live performance
Attending this unique performance on the opening day I was able to see a live body installation in 3D. Stelarc was wired up to interact with his Second Life avatar, his right arm was stimulated electronically and the arm’s movements mirrored and mimicked by his avatar double. His hypnotic heartbeat was also superimposed, as were writhing and constant movement of his arm. We were all in a dark and intimate space wearing extremely strong polarized 3D glasses, which served to heighten the visual encounter. His beating heart shattered into hundreds of smaller hearts, which seamed to leap from the screen. This was so effective due to the ramped-up effect of the 3D that one onlooker was trying to catch them as they ‘virtually’ flew passed her head.
This visual treat was augmented by the sound generated from Stelarc’s arm movement, mapped onto his avatar. Lore Lixenberg, a Mezzo Soprano enhanced the acoustic landscape with a diverse range of improvised sound which, given the size of the performance space, was unsurprisingly very loud in parts. Credit also has to be given to the rest of the artistic team in developing such a multi-sensory performance. Ian Upton and Joff Chafer structured the visual space and devised the virtual camera wizardry. Daniel Ploeger developed the sensor system, hooked up to Stelarc’s arm.[2]
This performance lasted an hour and towards the end Stelarc’s discomfort was registering. He has certainly learned how to control pain, as his previous suspension performances include being held aloft by a multitude of shark hooks pushed through his skin, such as his street suspension in New York (1984).[3] Moreover, a recent addition to his body art included an ear cultured and grown from his cells, and implanted under the skin of his inner forearm.[4]
On leaving the performance area we emerged, blinking in the daylight and were invited to enjoy the rest of the museum whilst adjustments were made to the studio space. We were to be the first to experience Exact/Insert, invited to ‘see’ into another world, and explore issues of identity, space and reality.
Extract/Insert – where virtual and real worlds collide
Returning to the exhibition space I waited for the initial groups to go in whilst chatting to an avid ‘Second Lifer’, whose avatar had been around for seven years. Donning my 3D spectacles and ushered inside, I sat on a cube and watched with absolute fascination at the exotic creatures that were staring right back. It was an encounter of the ‘virtual’ kind. We could see them – and they could see us. This interface was a portal into the virtual world of Second Life. Not only was the exhibition in the gallery space but also a virtual location where Second Lifers from all over the world could visit and see us in all our various shapes and sizes I the heart of Coventry City Center. Once the awkward silence abated, visitors in both worlds were encouraged to interact, to talk, wave and even to dance. The Artists of this fascinating work have created their own avatars and could interact with onlookers from both sides of the ‘window’.
Conclusion
If you haven’t heard of the virtual world of Second Life this will be all the stranger for you to get your head around. The participants from the virtual worlds are not paid actors or CGI animation but are real people, inhabiting a virtual persona – an avatar. The pay off for me was thinking about inhabiting a virtual world, the social construction, the mores and laws that govern it. Also the relationships between characters, the friendships made and the partnerships forged in a place that is not real or tangible except via computer technology. For some the boundaries between real and virtual identity are defined, for others not so clear-cut. This was a peep into another world and has made me want to explore it further. I have created my own avatar following this exhibition and I would like to visit the exhibition from the other side. The technology behind this work is truly impressive and it was a strangely disconcerting but enjoyable experience, which got me thinking.
References
1. & 2. The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry (2012) Involuntary and Improvised Arm [online] available from: http://www.theherbert.org/index.php/home/whats-on/involuntary-improvised-arm- [accessed 6th November 2012]
3. Bond, A et al. (2006 ) Art Gallery of New South Wales Contemporary Collection, [online] available from: http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/35.1986.3 [accessed 6th November 2012]
4. Pidd, H. (2009) Artist gets an extra ear implanted into his arm [online] The Guardian. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/apr/14/performance-artist-ear-impant?INTCMP=SRCH [accessed 6th November 2012]
[1] The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry (2012) Involuntary and Improvised Arm [online] available from: http://www.theherbert.org/index.php/home/whats-on/involuntary-improvised-arm- [accessed 6th November 2012]
[2] The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry (2012) Involuntary and Improvised Arm [online] available from:
http://www.theherbert.org/index.php/home/whats-on/involuntary-improvised-arm- [accessed 6th November 2012]
[3] Bond, A et al. (2006 ) Art Gallery of New South Wales Contemporary Collection, [online] available from: http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/35.1986.3 [accessed 6th November 2012]
[4] Pidd, H. (2009) Artist gets an extra ear implanted into his arm [online] The Guardian. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/apr/14/performance-artist-ear-impant?INTCMP=SRCH [accessed 6th November 2012]
