CHArt Twenty-Second Annual Conference

When Presence and Absence Turn into Pattern and Randomness: Can You See Me Now?
Maria Chatzichristodoulou (maria x), Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK

What is the meaning of embodiment and presence within a postmodern, posthuman, and 'post-media' context? What is at stake when embodiment becomes virtual, distributed and/or hybrid? What happens when presence and absence turn into pattern and randomness?

This paper explores the issues of posthuman presence and virtual embodiment in relation to current emergent, performance and/or performative, artistic practice. Blast Theory's piece ‘Can You See Me Now?’ is used as a case-study. The focus is on networked performance practices that employ the Internet and other networking technologies as distribution media but also as spaces - that is, as cybernetic stages that span across physical and virtual spacetimes challenging established notions of presence and absence. Whereas performance is closely associated with the notion of physical, bodily presence, when it comes to (semi-) mediated, networked, and other forms of technologised performance practices ‘questions about presence and absence do not yield much leverage ...’ ¹, as the corpo-real body ceases to function as a tangible proof of presence. Presence becomes doubt. It becomes impregnated with absence (Derrida), an in-between state, a presence-absence. What happens while we exist in-between presence and absence in performance?

Furthermore, strategies we develop in order to both shape, embody and relate through hybrid spacetimes as present-absent, posthuman creatures are investigated, questioning the meaning of embodiment within a posthuman context. I argue that, within this context, the conceptual dichotomy of presence - absence is not sufficient for the analysis of networked performances and encounters. I further argue in favour of Hayles’ proposal of a complementary dialectic based on notions of pattern and randomness. To approach and illustrate these issues I use Blast Theory's installation/performance/gaming piece ‘Can You See Me Now?’ (2001) (<http://www.canyouseemenow.co.uk>)

1. Hayles, N. Katherine How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature and Informatics Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1999, 27. Hayles specifically refers to the technologies of virtual reality. Nevertheless, I consider that the problems these technologies raise around issues of presence and absence apply to most emergent, hybrid forms of performance that employ networking and/or other digital technologies.

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