Real and Virtual Movement: Intersecting Art, Technology, and Medicine

Join us at the ICA on Wednesday, Apr. 20 for the next presentation of VCU’s Provost’s Lecture Series, featuring keynote speakers Semi Ryu and Kate Sicchio on the intersection of art, technology, and medicine.

Following their presentation, Dr. Sicchio and Professor Ryu will join moderator Dominic Asmall Willsdon, executive director of the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, for a discussion.

A partnership between the Office of the Provost and the ICA at VCU, the Provost’s Lecture Series provides a forum for presentation and discussion that highlight important issues of the day.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

KATE SICCHIO, assistant professor of dance and media technologies, VCUarts
 
Presentation: Dance and technology collaborations on the stage and in the lab

The intersection of dance and emerging technologies includes many things from live coding choreography, wearable technologies for the body in performance and movement for autonomous systems. This talk focuses on how technology is used in the studio and on the stage, but also how dance and choreography is a rich methodology for developing new technical systems.

SEMI RYU, professor of kinetic imaging, VCUarts; and associate professor of internal medicine, School of Medicine
 
Presentation: Performing virtual bodies

Following the technical advancement of cross-reality platforms—including virtual and augmented reality, the term “virtual bodies” has become widespread. Despite its increased use, however, there has not been much investigation of “virtual bodies” taking into account a trans-cultural approach. This presentation will demonstrate the methods of experiencing virtual bodies, in the context of Korean healing ritual, along with discussions of avatar life-review projects, in the phase of wishing, facing and performing virtual bodies. The concept of avatar virtual bodies will be explored, opening trans-cultural dialogues of body, perception and experience, and discussion of art, technology and medicine.