The Alices (Walking)
A multimedia fashion show that combines sculpture, opera and augmented reality
Taking inspiration from Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, conceptual artist Claudia Hart carries the book's notion of madness over to a live hi-tech fashion show starring five models dressed in 'Website Dresses'. The visual content embedded in the fabric patterns can only be read with the complimentary augmented reality app that selected audience members will be invited to launch during the live performance. The modern Alice is wrapped in a cyborgian identity tied to the realm of the smartphone and vulnerable to glitches and decay as Carrol's words appear in form of pop-up banner graphics and trashy web design.
Edmund Campion created a soundtrack that electronically adapts a libretto sung and recorded by Claudia Hart herself in duet with Mikey McParlane, again based on the original phrases of the book. Plugged into an electronic system each 'Alice' entering the runway triggers a change of stage design and music in reference to a space of cloning and mutation.
The Alices (Walking) is part of a larger series by multimedia artist Claudia Hart and will be performed at Eyebeam Art and Technology Center, New York on Saturday, March 8th.
All photos courtesy of bitforms gallery, New York
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