Augmented Reality Workwear (part of doing together 24)

Through a demonstration of an Augmented Reality Workwear Collection, this session explored the ‘new aesthetic’, focussing on ‘looking’ through and simultaneously being ‘seen’ through digital devices. This interactive session invited participants to engage with an embodied, sensorial event of networked interaction.

The Collection consists of a range of garments that are made out of AR fabric, which is viewed through its associated app, which could be downloaded at the beginning of the session. The fabric was developed in collaboration with Computer Science and Gaming. The textile design uses data visualisation to represent 'actual' online user journeys - these journeys can be accessed via the Augmented reality image markers using the app which in turn grants access to networked websites on the worldwide web.

My postdigital practice focuses on human interaction with technology and uses Alexemberg's definition of Postdigital Art as its starting point to explore the use of emerging postdigital art forms. My practice uses materials, methods and processes associated with ‘…appropriation, bio art, blog, code, collaboration, collaborative community data, data visualisation, globalisation, Google, identity, immersive, interactive, internet, narrative, net.art, network, open source, participatory, process, social media, social space, surveillance, text, virtual, webcam, wiki.’ (Alexenberg, 2011, Pg. 51)

The session focused on the ‘new aesthetic’, that focuses on ‘looking’ through and simultaneously being ‘seen’ through digital devices. Paul and Levy state that this new aesthetic is now an integral part of usage and meaning making within contemporary western culture. ‘The New Aesthetic captures the embeddedness of the digital in the objects, images and structures we encounter on a daily basis and the way we understand ourselves in relation to them. It captures the process of seeing life, and being seen through, digital devices…’ (Paul and Levy, 2015, p27)