EM.body is a digitally mediated performance art project which explores the idea of mutable identity on the internet.
On dating sites, social media platforms, and gaming forums, individuals are represented digitally through avatars. These avatars give other users an idea of who the person being represented is IRL. These digital identifiers, however, can be manipulated to differ greatly from our physical biology, resulting in digital representations that don't have physical equivalents. Examples can be found especially in marginalized identities attempting to near a status quo.
The dance project EM.body utilizes muscle sensors to gather data directly from the body to manipulate a live video feed creating a more direct relationship of manipulation between biology and digital creature. The muscle sensors pick up minute changes in muscular tension as a result of changes in an emotional state. What elements of humanity are evidenced? What new tolls are taken when manipulation of your digital avatar requires physical effort?
