Reflections: Performance and XR

Meeting Terry, who is very passionate about his research in augmented reality, provided me with significant insight into the field. He gave me glasses through which I could see Neil Armstrong’s Apollo mission spacesuit from the Smithsonian Institute and Stevenson’s Rocket from the Science Museum London. Objects that would be invisible without looking through the Microsoft HoloLens2 Mixed Reality Headset. I was immediately mesmerized by the idea of creating elements that only specific parts of the audience could see, offering a different experience to others who wouldn't see the same things. This technology would allow us to craft narratives that could tell different stories by making elements appear or disappear.

After my application, I remember receiving an email from Jonas asking for more information about myself and my work. Since it was the time between Christmas and New Year, we decided I would send the information via a self-tape, which I recorded during one of the spare calm moments between the festivities. With a feeling of nervousness, I sent my video and received a reply a few days later. Jonas expressed interest in working with me but requested that I create a new performance. From that moment, I found myself on another rollercoaster, but not a VR one. It was a mixed feeling of joy and nervousness. I began working on different ideas and was excited to tackle my first open brief after finishing my MA.

It was an extremely enriching experience because I had the opportunity to work under the guidance of Jonas, a professional curator and art theoretician. I decided to focus on creative research that questions the positionality of women within a patriarchal and Catholic society. The impetus for this research came from stories I heard about my grandmother and my own lived experiences. In the performance, it was important to me to convey the image of a woman who has to bear a lot to receive a piece of the cake, which stands as a metaphor for financial security.

Back in January, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Terry, Chris Follows, and Grzesiek to conduct initial tests for AR performances. While I'm accustomed to performing in front of a camera or even two, it was a completely different experience to perform for 10 cameras capturing my entire performance in 360 degrees. Terry set up a circle with a specific diameter so that the performer could know how far they could reach in every direction. The test runs helped me to better understand the technology and how to work with it, as I learned that movements need to be performed at a slower pace.