ATTRACTOR

[Marlon Barrios Solano]

This is the main topical discussion space for the lab. We will use it to establish a dialogical space on ideas, comments, provocations, theoretical questions, inspirations, etc. It is used as a continuous thread during the whole lab and after. It can host photos, video and text.

[Jessica Muise]

a practice of trying to be available and working towards being available; being both inside and outside, both high and low, being in my mind/body. the variables are different for each situation / time I work to 'arrive in presence' so the process of 'arriving' may be different. it is a place where I feel ready, consciously being a filter, aware of what is pre-occupying my thoughts and mind's eye and gently letting that pass to allow myself to integrate into a new environment, new air, new people in proximity. it is an agreement to allow and participate in what will happen - an invitation to be in the 'now' or 'flow'.

[Ellen Maynard]

"Arriving in Presence" sounds like a call or prompt for me to bring myself back to an immediate awareness of my experience. Upon hearing this prompt, I would take a moment to "spread out into the space" energetically. I do this by focusing on my visual surroundings by scanning the area or honing in on one thing, smelling the air around me, basking in the soundscape that we are all swimming in, tasting, feeling, and moving. Even the most subtle shifts offer me loads of information in this active state. Besides contact improvisation and dance in general, two main influences have made me more aware of the difference between being fully present and being something less than. Dancing Gaga provided me a lab to experiment with the extremes of movement sensations- there is really nothing like it! Also, David Abram writes about "participatory perception" in his book, The Spell of the Sensuous. His explanation of our inescapable tie to time and space through our landscape and our participation within it changed how I interact with my surroundings in real time. 

Charles and Catrina, beautifully written explanations! 

[Elizabeth June Bergman]

I agree with many of the "definitions" of presence put forth here, and am feeling the lack of physical connection and a shared physical space with this community, which obviously cannot be overcome through the non-physical space of the internet.  As an artist who practices improvisation as well as hatha yoga to connect with my own sense of presence and being in the moment, I am constantly comparing this sense of being to the one/ones I experience staring at a computer or using abstract thought to articulate what can only be theoretical if not applied in the lived moment.  Definitely the sense of time is different- body time versus computer time/ internet time?  I am struggling a bit to reconcile these perceived discrepancies of mine with the explorations of this group.  I am grateful for the opportunity to witness everyone's opinions and thoughts on the matter and the conversation between Nancy Stark Smith and our other contributors, but am aware of the fragmented nature of my own exploration of this project- my cerebral intellect has been stimulated a lot, my "minded body" less so.  Looking forward to seeing what week two creates.  

[Kellie Lynch]

@ Ellen.  Interesting, I think about that often.  My personal goal, as a performer, is to access a state of authentic embodiment and presence.  To wholeheartedly be available for the 'here/now' experience.  It's difficult to achieve, and maybe not always distinguishable to the audience.  Maybe performing being in the moment is just performing, and the act of being in the moment (while in front of an audience) is performing while accessing a higher state of consciousness.  

[Ellen Maynard]

@ Kellie

Thanks for the reply! I like how you summarize your authentic embodied state as "performing while accessing a higher stat of consciousness." This allows me freedom to note that yes, we still are performing, but there are so many more layers to it as well. It doesn't have to be one or the other- performing or experiencing. We can bring the two together to one cohesive state of being. 

[Hannah Kosstrin]

@Elizabeth - I have been negotiating this lack of physical presence as well. I notice my own physical unrest sitting with (fidgeting in front of) the computer screen. I know that there are people on the other end on their computer screens, and I know that I have to suspend my disbelief of the reality of being in a room by myself to connect to the larger community of this group. When I think of arriving in presence I imagine the outline of my body existing and then the "arriving" is all of my "me-ness" filling that space to the brim, or bringing my fleshy self into my ghostly self. Part of arriving as a member of a group for me includes feeling the energy of other people arriving bouncing off my own - so, how does that work in this space? And how much of felt body tension or a charged space between people is necessary when having larger discussions? The part of this experiment that is so intriguing to me is exactly this - finding these kinds of embodiment through a medium (the Internet) that is arguably by its very nature disembodied.

[mariana carranza]

Alcanzar la presencia , llegar con la presencia virtual , entrar en la virtualidad.

La telepresencia es una experiencia decididamente nueva, que nos permite aparecer y desaparecer magicamente, convertirnos en un avatar que es otro ser y a la vez nosotros mismos, ya que somos nosotros quienes lo definimos.

Cuál es el nivel de compromiso de la presencia virtual mas allá de la generación de información?

Cómo funciona la decodificación, la lectura de la energía transmitida a través de bits en términos de afectividad?

Me refiero a la parte humana del proceso de relación con la cyber-presencia, con los meta-bodies. Quzás algo [aún] magicamente inexplorado?

 

a new tool for the academy:
http://translate.google.es/ # es / en /
please, use it to understand my text;)

[Marlon Barrios Solano]

This is an amazing footage that I found of the Hole in Space:
In 1980, artists Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz created a "Hole in Space" by linking bigger-than-life displays in New York and LA with a satellite feed. It was the mother of all video chats -- they showed that size and bandwidth matter in communicating presence and emotion.

[Marlon Barrios Solano]

On more:
I found an excellent short talk by Evan Thompson on embodied cognition and performance:

[marguerite pechillon]

What a Connection ?


An experimentation...

connections ?

Understanding english in a speed flow was a big challenge for me, my head next  to explosion and my eyes heavy of concentration close to enter in my screen. Synapsis connections ?

But in this moment I haven't web cam or camera...
epistolary connections ?

In my  peregrination on the labyrinthic academy I saw Nancy on video who invite myself to close the eyes and take a deep breath. At this moment everithing was so calm. I can connected my axis on the chair, my breath connect my mind in the moment just the moment in the breath, what a powerfull forgotten sensation. Recovered. Nice to meet you again.

My day was full of this momentum and bounced joy on questions raise up in those weeks academy,

So
thank you to each of us to(o)

  give me so many connections !

[Adriano Bittar]

As we get to the middle of week 2, a few things have occurred to me. It has being a pleasant surprise to work with all the group via the internet! I have made other attempts to join web based groups and it did not work at all. The main problem was not being able to follow instructions through the net, and a complete inability to sort things out on the computer on my own. Since those experiences, my knowledge of computers has gotten better, but this is not all. I have found that the technical, conceptual and warm heartedly support from Marlon and Rachel has played a very important role on making me feel part of this group. I feel at ease with the activities proposed, even if I do not make it for the Hangouts, or post the wrong URL with the results from my brainstorm after watching the lovely Nancy Stark Smith talk about her creations. In saying so, I do believe it has being a successful experience so far. I feel a real and growing need to get to my home computer, and do my metaacademy home assignments. Besides, the experience made possible by metaacademy reverberates through me on my day-to-day activities. Embodiment seems to be possible through the web! What does it take for this to happen? A clear strategy, and an open-minded bunch of people reverberating together seems to play a major role towards success! Thank you all for proving us with that! 

[Adriano Bittar]

Sorry guys, I wanted to say, on the last sentence: "[...] for providing us with that!".