[ISEA2022] Paper: Nina Rajcic & Jon McCormack — Posthuman Rituals

Abstract

Full Paper. Session: Humans and NonHumans / Rituals, Consciousness and Technology

Keywords: Posthumanism, Design, Human-Machine Relationships

Mirror Ritual, Message Ritual, and Worn Ritual take inspiration from the mutual entailment of matter and meaning in the dynamic configuring and re-configuring of identity. The Ritual Series serves to challenge the existing paradigms in technology design, to offer altogether new rituals, to forge meaningful relationships between human and machine.

As we become increasingly entangled with digital technologies, the boundary between the human and the machine is progressively blurring. A posthumanist perspective embraces this ambiguity, giving primacy not to the individual agents that comprise a system, but to the relationships between them. In this hyperconnected age, our relationships with technology mediate and mould our perceptions of reality, and now they are beginning to define us. This research project explores new possibilities for human-machine relationships, moving away from relationships marked by habitual, unconscious behaviours towards those imbued with intention and meaning. Three works: Mirror Ritual, Message Ritual, and Worn Ritual take inspiration from the mutual entailment of matter and meaning in the dynamic configuring and re-configuring of self-identity. The proposed relationships are not intended to replace or imitate existing ritual practices among humans, but to inspire new forms of shared meaning in the human and non-human assemblages of contemporary culture.

  • Nina Rajcic is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and developer exploring new possibilities of human-machine relationships. Her recent works draw inspiration from the link between language and the self, exploring the role of narrative in the synthesising of meaning and the constructing of identity. Her broader research investigates the nature of human-machine relationships in an increasingly post-human world, ultimately seeking to offer new rituals that produce shared meaning in the human and non-human assemblages of today. Nina is currently undertaking a practice-based PhD at SensiLab, Monash University. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science, and a Masters of Physics (Theoretical Particle Physics) from The University of Melbourne. https://sensilab.monash.edu
  • Jon McCormack is an Australian-based artist and researcher in computing. His research interests include generative art, design and music, evolutionary systems, computer creativity, visualisation, virtual reality, interaction design, physical computing, machine learning, developmental models and physical computing. Jon is the founder and Director of SensiLab and oversees all operations, research programs and partnerships. He is also full Professor of Computer Science at Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology and currently an ARC Future Fellow. Jon holds an Honours degree in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from Monash University, a Graduate Diploma of Art (Film and Television) from Swinburne University and a PhD in Computer Science from Monash University. https://sensilab.monash.edu