Bodies and Embodiment in Immersive Art

With a particular focus on VR – the technology enabling the highest degree of immersion – this article analyses the field of tension between digital and physical bodies in immersive art. How, and with what tools, do artists produce digital bodies? What themes, reflections, and visions of the (post-)human do they convey in the process? How are the physical bodies of viewers – positioned not only to observe, but to perceive and actively participate in multiple ways – integrated into the artworks through embodiment (via Embodied Simulation and/or Virtual Embodiment)? Relatively little research has been carried out on current forms of immersive art that interact with the body. This text seeks to make an interdisciplinary contribution to this discussion as it unfolds at the intersection between art science, computer science and the cognitive sciences, looking in detail at the work of six selected artists.

Co-funded by HTW Berlin and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the »Program for Strengthening Innovation Potential in Culture III« (INP-III).