Figments, 1999

Figments engineered a convergence between live movement and digital imagery. Over the course of six weeks, live performances contributed to the evolution of the digital imagery. During the period between live interventions the memory of the movement was retained within liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, slowly transforming, recalling the bodily patterns of the contributors. The live interventions are movement dialogues: across performers and between each performer and the system. Visitors to the installation are invited to witness the live interventions, and on select occasions to get into the system themselves.

Each week we invited a different performer to join us. Once wearing the motion capture 'suit' the performers effectively drove the imagery in real-time, but also entered into a duet with it because the imagery reflected contributions from other performers. While Figments was at the Oaklands Park House foyer and the Otter Gallery of University College Chichester, the invited performers were: Ruth Gibson (17.09 and 23.09), Paeder Kirk (16.10), plus participants of the Exploding Perceptions Conference on the 30 October.

The performers are wired to a computer and wore a head-mounted-display. Visitors to the installation witnesssed the movement dialogue on the screens and by watching the physical space, as the system/space is shared by two performers. Figments evolves, it is an installation and a visual, physical and imaginative laboratory.