Michelle Lievaart

Body

Ying Gao

(NO)WHERE (NOW)HERE2 interactive dresses, Super organza, photoluminescent thread, PVDF, electronic devices.

The project was inspired by the essay entitled "Esthétique de la disparition" (The aesthetic of disappearance), by Paul Virilio (1979). " Absence often occurs at breakfast time – the tea cup dropped, then spilled on the table being one of its most common consequences. Absence lasts but a few seconds, its beginning and end are sudden. However closed to outside impressions, the senses are awake. The return is as immediate as the departure, the suspended word or movement is picked up where it was left off as conscious time automatically reconstructs itself, thus becoming continuous and free of any apparent interruption. " The series comprising two (2) dresses, made of photoluminescent thread and imbedded eye tracking technology, is activated by spectators' gaze. A photograph is said to be “spoiled” by blinking eyes – here however, the concept of presence and of disappearance are questioned, as the experience of chiaroscuro (clarity/obscurity) is achieved through an unfixed gaze. http://www.yinggao.ca/interactifs/nowhere-nowhere/

Bart Hess

Designer Bart Hess and filmmaker Ruth Hogben joined forces for their contribution to SHOWstudio’s Punk film season. Inspired by punk’s association with metal adornments Hess built a garment entirely from studs, pins and chains. Hundreds of magnets were glued on to dancer Eric Underwood, attracting over 80 kilograms of steel bits like instant metal embroidery. Hogben captured the creative process and used the footage to create Pins and Needles http://barthess.nl/portfolio/pins-and-needles/

Anouk Wipprecht

Perched on the wearer's shoulders are animated robotic limbs that eerily crawl around the body. The robotic dress both incites the curiosity of passersby by coyly dancing around the wearer's body while at the same time protecting the wearer if somebody approaches too fast or comes to close. The performative garment deals with themes of "personal space" and raises questions concerning control and privacy. As with with much of Wipprecht's past work, the space of the body is once again transformed into a stage where the garment becomes the leading actor. http://fashioningtech.com/profiles/blogs/robotic-couture

In 2028, the artisans KOBAKANT were commissioned to make an Extravagant Electronic funeral gown, also known as The Crying Dress. The gown was worn by the wife of the deceased commissioner in attendance of his funeral, where the dress shed endless tears of mourning. There has been much speculation on the commissioner’s motivation for ordering the gown prior to his death, but it is widely believed that he intended for it to console his wife and accompany her mourning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWM_JVvnNyE

Behaviour

Nike

Nike recently revealed their latest digital art installation at the Milan Design Week. The art installation uses Microsoft Kinect technology in order to mimic and react to human bodies interacting with the digital screen, which copies the human movement and displays it in brightly coloured light patterns on the screen. The design was created by the UK design company, Universal Everything with the idea of turning the human body into a digital art piece. http://www.digitalmeetsculture.net/article/nikes-interactive-digital-art-installation/