Hi all, this is Ed checking in. My allocated months at DPI will be this Spring, and I've been gestating my original proposal and watching it evolve.

My original idea was to research online performance of self, and move towards an interactive video installation that somehow merged our physical bodies with online avatars.  I am also interested in the real-life re-performance of online interactions.

I'm still very much down with exploring those avenues, but as I wander through the woods, one particular idea has crystallized with more specific form. I would really like to take photographic portraits of Second Life residents dressed up as their avatars. It just seems somehow to cut to the chase. In my mind, these portraits would convey both the performative aspects of avatars (the costume), and also go a long way in conveying the strange relationship between the first and second-life self.

As well as being rather fun.

As far as presentation goes, I'm not sure how to do that in an interesting way. I immediately thought of projecting the images on buildings (ie on real architecture as opposed to information architecture), but then I always want to do that... ;)  So that's still very much open.

I'm also pretty obsessed with fragmented projection at the moment.  I want to spend some time at DPI seeing if I can make a three dimensional dispersed screen using little pieces of rear projection material. I'm working with a similar-ish setup with LEDs on a freelance job, but it's very low res and I want to try it out with projection.

I'll keep posting as I make progress

Ed