Freya OlafsonMotion Aftereffect (MÆ)
Photo : Robbie Sweeny
MÆ – Motion Aftereffect intends to reveal how virtual reality technology can destabilize meaning(s) of the corporeal body. The project engages with content from the Internet: open source motion capture libraries, ready-made 3D human models and monologues of individuals recounting their experiences with VR in live gameplay, explorative worlds and VR porn. The MÆ project is a new work in development that aims to catalyze conversations about contemporary culture and performance while imagining societies future with advances in VR technologies.
Research contributions from: Thomas Wester in Portland, Kathy Casey, Larry Lavender, Rachel Harris and Ellen Furey in Montreal, and Yagiz Mungan in San Francisco.
Freya acknowledges the generous support of the Manitoba Arts Council, the AR/VR Artist Research Residency Pilot organized by Oregon Story Board, Eyebeam and Upfor Gallery in Portland as well as the 13th annual Montréal Choreographic Workshop. In 2017 this work was developed through the CounterPulse (San Francisco) ‘Artist Residency Commissioning Program’ with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, and the Ken Hempel Fund for the Arts.
Photo : Robbie Sweeny
Freya Björg Olafson is an intermedia artist whose praxis engages with identity and the body, as informed by technology and the Internet. Olafson has presented internationally at museums, galleries, universities, performance festivals and conferences. She holds an MFA in New Media from the Transart Institute / Donau Universität and is currently teaching Screendance at York University (Toronto).