Wait for It

This project starts from the realization that there are multiple unexplored resonances between “VR Fail” videos and early silent film-era slapstick routines. Emerging from a similar era of technologically driven change, and the resultant cultural anxieties, these distinct forms share a sense of the hilarious at the defeat of the body, a celebration of the abject, and an embodied resistance to the machine. I’ll explore these resonances and develop an experimental VR Slapstick performance, working with theater experts and current CMU students.

This project was made possible with support from the 2024 Round of the XRTC Creative Research Grant, the XRTC and the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.