James J. Gibson, coined the term “affordance.” Affordance is what an environment offers an individual, and refers to all action possibilities depending on users’ physical capabilities. For example, a chair “affords” being “sat on,” “thrown,” “stood on,” and a continuing use of probabilities. The afforded movements of female human form, free from identity are filmed at the fjord. Performed as an illustrative animation of (Jungian) subconscious, and imaginary forces, an asynchronous digital armature composes a wind soundstrack. The wire frame becomes the composer, referencing a library of wind sounds echoing movements of the body through a program made by Harald de Bondt. The feminine as a figure of the earth, or “mother nature,” is faced with an exorcised wire-image of mirrored human body motions, to examine notions of Intelligence and discernments upon spectrums of natural and supernatural, virtual and real.
The Afjordance video is intended to be projected with sound, to create an immersive experience providing a multi-sensory meditation on potential meanings and implications of emergent technologies. The relationship between the human body and the natural world remains full of assumptions, misunderstandings, and spaces for insight. As Artificial Intelligence becomes an aspect of human existence, and human relations become increasingly interdependent on technological screens and interfaces, the epistemological questions defining the concept of Intelligence are brought to the forefront.
Inspired by social histories of witch-hunting, scapegoating, and grand-theories-of everything, the ability to understand or predict meteorological changes, questions of the familiar and alien, are performed with comparative curiosity for the adeptness of human intuition and oft-described technological advances. The video looks at the way humanity creates mirrored structures to reflect upon these personal and collective histories, such as the 150 peoples’ accused of creating ‘unnatural’ events in Vardø, Norway. This question of persecution aims to inquire about the persecution of populations of contemporary people within the sociological acceptance or vilification within themes of technological attitudes, assumptions, and climate change* (linked articles below the artwork).
The modern day stories are constructed with concepts related to the way humans understand nature through math. Artificial Intelligence relies on pattern recognition, algorithms, and math. The inconsistencies and congruences in these differences press human critical thinking to engage in questions of meaning, myth, demythologization through critical discussion. For example, Algol is the etymological root of algorithm. In the mythological sense, the star Algol takes its name from an Arabic word meaning the Demon’s Head or, literally the Ghoul. It represents the terrifying snaky head of the Medusa monster. Perseus was a great hero often depicted mounted on Pegasus the Flying Horse. In the mythology of the skies, Perseus slew Medusa. In the mythology of the wind and armature, the Ingmar Bergman inspired vision, illuminates the female body as the generator and executioner of such mythologies in technocratic times.
Research project based on Currere, an autobiographical method from post-modern theory of experience based learning. The foundation forming idea of in the methodologies is to investigate how places makes people. The process repeats the question through applying low-tech Pattern Recognition through several artistic mediums at various sites.
Introduction: Looking at humanist and ethical learning models in the technocratic future, the research aims to function with a quality of flux. The dynamic of flux is afforded by experience based praxis, in an experience based format. Suited for all ages, the research is aimed to be reproduced through workshops, classroom, and engage in both the natural and technological environments.
BASIC PROCESS
Physical time in the nature to gather Geological Time Samples (Rocks)
Draw surfaces forms from Geological Time Samples
Trace the line drawings to form new patterns
Perform lines as body movements
DEVELOPMENT OUTLINE
Record On-Site Movement(DancePerformances)
Soundtrack Production (database sourcing, programming, music, voice)
Additional Artistic Mediums; Costumes or Exhibitions
Methods developing sensitivities and tolerances in cognition and empathy contribute to balances in individual cohesion and retention of agency in personal choices relative to the motives of a larger social group. The emphasis of somatic methods are not on Identity but rather focus on the Locus of Control aspect of individual psychology. In the retention of self-authorship and agency, the depth of individual development of senses, the social environment proposed fosters empathy and compassion. By creating a healthy environment within each person, the social environment created naturally affords greater diversity through the sense of personal responsibility. Instead of a contamination of ideas and theories, the methods are based on the principles of trust in the individual to develop their capacities within a social context. These forms of Intelligence are neither natural (innate) or artificial (construct) but rather come about through nurturing which offers the healing of personal, historic, and epigenetic trauma. By addressing these core relational and ethical concerns through experience based learning, individual learning and outcomes are designed to not address the psyche as a problem to “fix” or a behavior to modify which can trigger an egoic response. The praxis used in the production of these artistic works serve as examples of ways to look at bringing about harmony with the individual in relation to the environment.
Embodied Cognition (Meditation): Various forms of meditation are used to access subjective experiences of a site. Short list of meditations: Shinrin Yoku (forest bath), Walking, Guided Visualisation, Yoga, Swimming. The term Meditation is taken-up by its definition of being absorbed and involved in considered thought. The notion of these thoughts are based on a philosophy of mind locating the origin of the thought from within the body of the individual engaged in Meditation. The concept of body originating thoughts is based on the Locus of Control principle in psychology. The multi-layerdd learning and tools built into the critical thinking exercises are grown out of questions raised in John Haugland’s book, A.I. The Very Idea. Using the media of video affords groups to reflect on the complex nature of visual literacy, meaning, and collaboration in physical and digital environments.
A Solfège Souche is by definition the root of a forgotten connection with nature. In times of rapidly increased use of technology, humans face increased stimulation and variables on age old questions in ethics and morality. In an effort to portray a dynamic relationship with nature, instead of dominance over nature, the Butoh movements recreate ways lifeforms cut down in the forest continually find ways to reach towards light. This space framed in the video presents a body moving amongst an autumnal forest, merging and emerging from light and shadows. The body draws lines through movement; binaural beats compose the soundtrack. The pitches register at markers in time, reminiscent of ear trauma or tinnitus. The Solfège Souche video is situated at the intersection of dance, performance, video art, projection, embodied cognition research, and resonance study. The artistic research and pedagogical development around the project asks the questions: Are our cultural and bodily movements dangerous if we do not understand what we stand to lose? In what ways do sounds move and change forms from within the body and around? The term, Solfège, refers to the music education method developed to teach sight-singing and pitch accuracy. Originating in 11th century, music theorist Guido of Arezzo assigned six syllables: ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, now recognized as the major scale. Much later, the “ut” was changed to the open syllable “do”. “Sol” changed to “so”. “Si” later became “ti”, was added for the seventh scale-note, giving rise to the modern solfège. Souche has several meanings; as a stump (of a tree), the Latin word meaning root, simultaneously referring to genealogy. Souche was also a name of an unknown virus claiming the lives of at least twenty people (une souche virale inédite a fait au minimum vingt morts).
Single-channel video, sound composition from solfeggio frequencies, relating layers of what humans are as spirit, body, and connection with nature through how we manage to survive being chopped down, disconnected, technologized, and continue to move toward light and grow. A Solfège Souche is by definition the root of a forgotten connection with nature. Filmed in Maridalen, Oslo, Norway. / Enkanalvideo video, lydkomposisjon fra solfeggio-frekvenser, relaterte lag av hva mennesker er som ånd, kropp og forbindelse med naturen gjennom hvordan vi klarer å overleve å bli kuttet ned, frakoblet, teknologiisert og fortsette å bevege oss mot lys og vokse. En Solfège Souche er per definisjon roten til en glemt forbindelse med naturen. Filmet i Maridalen, Oslo, Norway. Exhibited Italy, South Korea, USA, France, Norway. The A.R. project developed into Afjordance.
August 3, 1562 a devastating thunderstorm hit central Europe, damaging buildings, killing animals and destroying crops and vineyards. The havoc caused by this natural disaster was so great, so unprecedented, that soon an unnatural origin for the storm was proposed. More alarming was the impression that it was not the only climatic anomaly at the time. The Little Ice Age was a period of climatic deterioration, characterized in Europe and North America by advancing mountain glaciers and prolonged periods of rainy or cool weather. The term was first used by climatologist F. Matthes in 1939 to describe the most recent glacial deposits, younger than 4.000 years, in the Sierra Nevada. Later the term was adapted to a period spanning from the 16th to the 19th century (1250/1500-1850), to describe both climatic as cultural changes. These difficult times also see the emergence of a new kind of superstition, that witches could “make weather” and steal the milk from the (starving) cows. So we read in Bavarian and Swiss chronicles: “1445, in this year was a very strong hail and wind, as never seen before, and it did great damage, […] and so many women, which it’s said to have made the hail and the wind, were burned according to the law.” “Anno 1626 the 27th of May, all the vineyards were totally destroyed by frost […], the same with the precious grain which had already flourished.[…] Everything froze, [something] which had not happened as long as one could remember, causing a big rise in price.[…] As a result, pleading and begging began among the peasants, [who] questioned why the authorities continued to tolerate the witches and sorcerers destruction of the crops. Thus the prince-bishop punished these crimes, and the persecution began in this year...” Fig.1. Witches cause a hailstorm, illustration from the “De Laniss et phitonicis mulieribus” [Concerning Witches and Sorceresses], by the scholar Ulrich Molitoris, published in 1489. Curious to note that the first image showing such a scene was published in a book arguing against witchcraft, as most scholars believed that only god was able to change the order of seasons or the weather (image in public domain). Sporadic acts of sorcery and harmful magic were known since antiquity, but only in Medieval Europe the idea of a sort of demonic conspiracy, perpetuated by sorcerers and witches against society, became common lore. Frequent storms, long winters and cold summers caused famine and starvation and so the demoralized peasants, demanding for fast actions, forced the authorities to prosecute the supposed culprits. The accusation of weather magic begins to play an important role in contemporary witch trials, even if at first it doesn’t seem that it was taken too serious. Still in 1595 the peasant Christoph Gostner, accused to have caused storms in Tyrol, argued that, “he pushed the weather back to the highest mountains, where no cock crows, nether hay is mown, no ox lives and no flower blooms, so it could do no harm, and so the storm became just a weak rain.” Asked then why, if he had this power, he didn’t prevent another severe storm, he replied that he was so “drunk that night” that he couldn’t possibly have used his magic. However soon enough witch trials, also concluding with death sentences, became common in Swiss, Austria, Poland, Germany and France. A peak was reached between 1560-1660, also coinciding with two major cold climatic phases in the Alps between 1550-1560 and 1580-1600. Last witch trials occurred 1715-1722 in Bavaria, in Swiss (1737-1738) and in Germany (1746-1749). The last European witch was executed in the year 1782, soon after (1850) glaciers started to retreat and the climate became warmer. Fig.2. The European witch hunt occurred between ~1430-1780, with peaks in 1560-1580, 1600-1618 and 1626-1630, may triggered by an unstable and cool climatic phase, the Little Ice Age (~1250-1500/1850). However even if we accept a role of climatic fluctuations in the history of witch hunts, it is important to note that social factors played by far the larger role. In regions with a strong government and legislation such trials were rare or nonexistent, even during climatic unfavorable phases. In rural areas, during political and social crisis, during war (the Thirty Years War in Germany occurs 1618-1648) also authorities were more willing to misuse sorcerers and witches as scapegoats. Finally in the 17th century, with the Age of Enlightenment, also the ideological, legislative and social support for witch trials soon eroded and the persecutions stopped.
