Aaron Lee – Looking Outwards – 11

Toni Doves is a media artist active in New York who uses motion sensing for her film, installation and performance. For example, in her exhibition, participants would see their avatars on screen that emulate motions.

One of her prominent projects, ‘The dress that eats soul’, already gives a powerful presence without further explanation by its appearance. A huge mechanical female sculpture in front of movie screen emits different lights and effects that follows to the narrative.

According to artist’s description, the sculpture’s dress is triggered by the movement of the participant and starts to play video and tell a story. The projection on the overheads follows the direction of the participant’s head to enhance virtual reality. The video is dubbed with poem scripted by novelist Rene Steinke. Each video is unique and responsive to the participant’s movement.

The main reason I picked this artist is mainly due to my passion in cinema which Doves has a serious connection to. I was curious to find what aesthetic and technological impact one could bring to the art of cinema. It was also interesting how she was using responsive features of her work to address and develop personal connections to the participants.

Artist’s website: https://tonidove.com/