Camille Baker conducted research through her PhD at SMARTlab Digital Media Institute to explore how mobile technologies and wearable devices can create new sensations of "liveness" and "presence" in participatory performance media. She investigated fields including new media, mobile/locative media, telematics, performance art, and philosophy of technology. Baker's research was sponsored by the BBC R+D and involved creating networked performance events where participants used mobile devices to transmit live video to each other, exploring themes of integration, connection, and embodiment of technology. She is continuing this work through workshops, applications, and new projects in 2011.

1. Camille Baker, MASc Interactive Arts
SMARTlab Digital Media Institute
PhD Candidate
PhD Viva Voce
December 15, 2010
MINDtouch:
ephemeral transference:
‘Liveness’ in Networked Performance with Mobile Devices

2. SMARTlab Digital Media Institute PhD: research question
–to uncover any new understandings of the sensations and
qualities of ‘liveness’ and ‘presence’ that may emerge
when using mobile technologies and wearable devices in
participatory performance media contexts–

3. figure © 2009 C. Baker
cognate fields
New Media, Mobile/
locative media,
telematics and wearable
art/tech
Performance/ live art,
participatory theatre
Philosophies of
Technology,
Consciousness & the Body,
non- Psychology/
Neuroscience and Biology
Video art, mobile
and
live or
database cinema
Mobile,
collaborative,
networked
performance
events

4. why I did this research (motivation)
1) to combine my intellectual interests and art practices;
2) I had a life-long fascination with telepathy
and dreams;
3) to connect research and art in fields
of interest previously disconnected;
4) I had a long interest in using mobile
phones in physical performances
with video or the network (telematics)
5) the film by Wim Wenders’ “Until the End
of the World” with its dream recorder, as
well as other Sci-Fi films featuring videophones
6) to contribute back something meaningful to ease distance and help
people connect in more physical and emotionally felt ways.

5. BBC R+D sponsored MINDtouch
This research was very
fortunate to be
sponsored by the BBC
R+D, with excellent
engineers advising the
project, especially with
the server and
streaming video set up
and implementation.

6. mobile and wearable devices as non-verbal expression
Participants in third and fourth performance social events December 4th and 18th, 2009

7. MINDtouch project: case study
Images © 2007 C. Baker workshop stills fromVancouver June and Dublin July 2007

8. Images© 2007 C. Baker - stills from participants’ videos, Dublin workshop October 2007
participant video from workshops 2007-2009

9. main themes
• integration
• connection
• translation
• participatory performance
• embodying technology
• networks / access

10. 1st performance July 2009 – documentation

12. 4th performance Dec 2009 – documentation clip

13. 4th performance Dec 2009 – documentation clip

14. restreamed video mix sample:

15. recording via qik on their mobile…
ideally, for anyone to see globally on their mobile…

16. now and the future
• a stand-alone phone application (for iPhone or Nokia) with
local company is in the works;
• the videophone workshops have been commissioned by
performance orgs for 2011;
• further funding is being explored to continue this project in
2011;
• I will facilitate workshops for the Live Stages performance and
technology festival in spring 2011 in London;
• I have another wearable and mobile project in development.

17. Thank you!