This joint presentation focused on the development of whisper, a new production involving a collaboration between artists and technologists (Names in here) which is being presented as part of RESPOND - the Future Physical focus on 'interactive' responsive environments taking place in April in Cambridge linked to The Junction and CUMIS.

Thecla introduced whisper as a project learning from the field of body itself. Whisper is based on small wearable devices carried and sewn in to garments. Participants move within a networked ecosystem. Small intelligent devices emanate their state based on the carrier's and wearers physiological data. Whisper devices are networked to a server which constructs distributed system state knowledge memory visualization.

Thecla calls it research into AFFECTIONATE COMPUTING
Moving from AFFECT TO AFFEC(tion) in terms of RELATION, PROCESS, INBETWEEN.

Key characteristics of whisper are:

• PHYSIOLOGICAL BASED INPUT
• BODY AS SYSTEM
• EMANATING RELATIONSHIP
• PARTICIPATORY INSTALLATION
• CULTURAL STUDY OF TELEPATH AND MAPPING
• FUTURE MEMORY
• WHISPER DEVICE STATE
• SEWING CIRCLE PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY

The sewing circle was attributed to groups of women in domesticity and textiles and is a social collaborative process of the 19th century.

Whisper is working with…

The notion of projection - light and matter

Brainwave - Heat - Touch - Position- Pulse
Musclewire - Motor-Pisten-Speaker-Display

Bluetooth technology

The development of whisper has involved a number of EXPERIENCE WORKSHOPS - an open series of development projects for artists and students. The profile of participants involved was open in demographic terms - no set parameters except an interest in taking part.

The series of workshops were entitled:

• LISTEN
• BETWEEN
• EXTEND
• MUTATE
• PHASE

For example the LISTEN workshop required participants to wear earplugs and to listen to the internal sounds of their own bodies. The BETWEEN workshop focussed on sending and receiving information through telepathic processes. Participants were asked to feel the focus of attention of someone who was standing directly behind them - to feel the draw that this attention gives - the feeling of the energy through intention.

Exploring the body from the INSIDE and OUTSIDE is the focus of all the workshops, from different angles and perspectives, to explore physical states in different circumstances. The body as a place of improvisation - multiple states, multiple beings, multiple memories.

After participation in practical exercises, participants were asked to write on cards which asked three basic questions:

• WHAT DID YOU HEAR
• HOW DID YOU HEAR
• WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE