SIGGRAPH 2023 Los Angeles
Frontiers Talk: Performing Life: Generating New Realities through Theatre and XR
Discover how the age-old analogy “All the world’s a stage” by Shakespeare takes on new meaning in the dynamic landscape of blended realities. Through the lens of XR, we delve into the participatory nature of both physical and virtual spaces as platforms for self-expression, life experimentation, and reality shaping. Uncover the philosophical, aesthetic, and socio-political aspects of XR’s evolution by exploring historical theatrical milestones and reimagining concepts like presence and authenticity. Our conversation also highlights contemporary artists who ingeniously integrate theatrical elements into XR, offering compelling case studies that highlight the intriguing interplay between these artistic realms.
SXSW 2023: This is not a Person
This is Not a Person (Ce n’est pas une personne) part deux! Continuing the rich discussion this panel started at SXSW last year, this panel of immersive storytellers discuss what it means to work with authentic qualities of what it means to be a human, the benefits and limitations of using volumetric video, which records a person as they were in the moment, and digital doubles, avatars that represent a form of who we are as we wish to be. One delivers the authenticity of a video stream; the other the power of plasticity, delivering our inner state as much as our outer state while also being interactive, whether driven by a person or by AI.
Rene Magritte famously painted a picture of a pipe, with the text, “Ceci n’est pas une pipe.” (this is not a pipe). This panel will discuss the benefits and limitations of using volumetric video, which records a person as they were in the moment, and digital doubles, avatars that represent a form of who we are as we wish to be. One delivers the authenticity of a video stream; the other the power of plasticity, delivering our inner state as much as our outer state while also being interactive, whether driven by a person or by AI.
RECENT TALKS
GAMES FOR CHANGE July 2021 WATCH VIDEO
GAMES FOR CHANGE 2021: AESTHETICS AND EMPATHY: WHY ART MATTERS
NEW YORK, NY
Most empathy in VR utilizes perspective taking—putting the player in someone else’s shoes. In this talk, I argue for expanding current approaches to empathy by returning to the original meaning of empathy as aesthetic sympathy. Reviewing the history of empathy and relevant neuropsychological literature, she will discuss the results of live prototyping experiments used to design Queerskins: ARK, which were recently published in The International Journal of New Media, Technology and the Arts.
SXSW March 2021 FEATURED PANEL Making Emotional Connections With Volumetric Video – Hear from three seasoned creatives on the most effective way to make emotional connections through volumetric video with writer, director, and new media artist Illya Szilak; Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Capture Studios creative director Jason Waskey, and producer and Atlas V co-founder Antoine Cayrol.
AFFIRMATIVE FEMINISM PANEL
Illya Szilak 