Prospectus For A Future Body

Can we design future memories for the body?
Is the body itself the apparatus for remembering cultural processes?

Prospectus For a Future Body proposes new perspectives on how the body remembers and invents technological narratives. Central to the project is the study of body movement in dance: How it can evolve, adapt or re-condition to possible futures?

Proposal 1_ Eternal Summer Storm

Eternal Summer Storm explores the concept of muscle memory transfer as an alternative form of interactive cultural continuities. This concept prototype speculates on a future digital library of body movements or dance techniques that can be experienced beyond the audio-visual conventions. Eternal Summer Storm attempts to recreate legendary Japanese dancer Tasumi Hijikata's Butoh dance choreography and experience in ‘A Summer Storm’ (1973) from archival footages.

Proposal 2_ Bionic Movement Research

Bionic Movement Research is a collection of experiments on the process of designing digital muscle memory for the body. Inspired by Luigi Galvani discovery (1780) of animal electricity in the human body, these experiments appropriate the techniques of electrical nerve stimulation to choreograph artificial muscle contraction and body movement. 

Proposal 3_ Synchrometrics

SynchroMetrics is a choreographic study on the experience of synchronicity. The experiment presents a dialogue between natural and digitally stimulated choreography, in an attempt to interlace the conceptual connections of the mind with a technological influence on the body.

Proposal 4_ Notion: Dance Fiction

Notion is a demonstration performance exploring the possibilities of muscle memory implant as a digital form for recording, playback and real-time mapping of movement-based technique. Inspired by the evolution of dance history in the last century, the performance attempt to install digital muscle memory implants from a selection of iconic dance movement vocabulary into a body as it learns, adapts and recreates within the multiplex of kinesics expression.

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Credits:
A project by Choy Ka Fai
Creation Process : Feb 2010 - Dec 2011

01- Eternal Summer Storm [Video Installation and Live Demonstration]
Video Performance by Choy Ka Fai and Daniel Foster Smith
02- Bionic Movement Research [Video Library]
Video Performance by Choy Ka Fai, Daniel Foster Smith, Tim Sargent and Tom Verbruggen]
03- Synchrometrics [Video Performance]
Choreographed by Choy Ka Fai with Camilla Capon
Performed by Camilla Capon, Ellyen Lancaster, Elly Braund and Abigail Mendonca
Production Team - Tim Sargent , Jae Yeop Kim, Pei Yin Lim and Joseph Popper
With Support from: Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, United Kingdom
04- Notion: Dance Fiction [Lecture Performance]
First developed with Ulrika Kinn Svensson
Performed by Ulrika Kinn Svensson/ Camilla Capon
With support from STUK Art Center, Leuven, Belgium

Presentation:
03-06 May 2010 ---------- Mode:Demo Exhibition/ LIFT 10 Design Conference 2010, Geneva, Switzerland
17 Sep 2010 --------------- Alpha-Villa: Festival of Post-digital Culture, White Chapel Gallery, London, United Kingdom
10-13 Dec 2010 ----------- Celeste Prize, International Contemporary Art Prize, Finalist Exhibition, Invisible Dog, NewYork, USA
09-10 Mar 2011 ----------- Move Me/Dance Festival 2011, STUK Art Center, Leuven, Belgium
07-08 Nov 2011 ----------- Festival Tokyo 2011, Emerging Artist Program, Theatre Green, Tokyo, Japan
08-09 Dec 2011 ----------- Inshadow Festival 2011, Sao Luiz Teatro Municipal, Lisboa, Portugal
16 Dec- 30 Mar 2012 ---- Curious Mind- New Approach In Design- Exhibition, The Israel Museum, Jerusalam, Israel
02 Feb - 04 Apr 2012 ---- 15th Japan Media Arts Festival, The National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan
29 Apr 2012 ---------------- Milan Design Week: Hacked!” La Rinascente, Milan, Italy
25 Aug 2012 ---------------- Electric Futures” Ampera Technology Week, King Cross Filling Station, London, UK
13 - 14 Oct 2012----------- Kyoto Experiment, Kyoto Art Center, Japan
18 - 28 Oct 2012 ---------- Singapore Intensive(Solo Exhibition), Future Perfect, Gillman Barrack, Singapore
28 Oct 2012 ---------------- Esplanade Da:ns Festival, Esplanade Theatre Studio, Singapore
20 Apr 2013 ---------------- 18th Exodos Festival, Kosovel Hall, Ljubljana, Slovenia
17 - 18 Aug 2013 ---------- Tanz im August, Sophiensaele, Berlin, Germany