Deep Connection

Deep Connection 2019

Marilène Oliver and Gary James Joynes

Laser cut coroplast sculpture and virtual reality

Working with radiology and computer science researchers at the University of Alberta, Marilène Oliver created a high-resolution full body magnetic resonance scan datasets in order to create two installations for Dyscorpia, both including virtual reality components. In Deep Connection, a body floats in VR space. The viewer can walk around and dive inside the body and explore its inner workings. Holding the body’s hand animates it: a 4D dataset of the heart beating and the lungs breathing is triggered. As long as the user holds the virtual body’s hand, the heart beats, the lungs breathe, and a human voice sings softly. The installation is comprised of a row of 3 sculptures of bodies into which the VR hardware is embedded/housed. Gary James Joynes created an original audio track using recordings from the original MR scan and Marilene Oliver’s voice.