AUGMENTED SPIRIT/EXTREME EMBODIMENT
A LANDSCAPE, MAPPED, OF VENT LIFE
collaboration with Deshae Lott
carpet, conductive thread, Arduino interface, MAX/MSP, wooden pedestal, video 2' x 3' x 3.5'
2007-present
Vent user Deshae Lott's life demonstrates the complications and triumphs emergent in using technology to sustain life and invites others to locate embodiment and commonality amidst the biomechanical and deviant. We present a body of works mapping how the human consciousness, sustained by medical interfaces, emerges to create meaningful connections with others and the environment. Viewers navigate an interactive piece by tracing the trail of Deshae's power chair stitched or embossed onto a floor plan-shaped carpet. The motion of the participant triggers sounds, voices, and noises that are specific to the sonic environment either of Deshae's home or, sometimes, of homes in general. Those who touch on the carpet play an electronic instrument that encourages the audience to realize an alternative perspective on disability.
