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ETERNAL ENGINE AND CREATING A COLLECTIVE VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE

MARTA NAWROT, JAGODA WÓJTOWICZ

Source: artists’ private gallery

Eternal Engine is an artistic and commercial hybrid. It has its origins in VJing, gaming, or even cyberfeminist zines and open source initiatives. There is a duo behind the Eternal Engine: Jagoda Wójtowicz and Marta Nawrot. Girls are doing their best in creating gender-fluid artefacts and activities that oscillate on the border between matter and virtual substance. They are modeling digital biomorphic entities and creating “various types of visual messages to hack your pineal gland”. They embody avatars to explore the new materialistic potential of cyberspace, especially in collective actions. In their works they address issues of systems’ changes and celebrate ecosystems, applying solarpunk care and sensitivity of digital experience space.

Eternal Engine works „calibrate” senses and body consciousness, they address issues like short-sightedness of stereotypes or various perceptual habits. Girls are learning by experimenting and searching for tips on online forums or by watching tutorials. Recently, they studied in depth the issues of artificial intelligence and machine learning. They can certainly abash many geeks with their knowledge. In their previous project called PUSSYMANTRA they had been improving their digital skills. They could cure any girl of hi-tech insecurities as they are familiar with problems that nerds and technology enthusiasts are facing almost every day.

In the English version we present selected and most interesting quotes from the interview.

I learned quite quickly that above-mentioned technology is regulated by patriarchal structures - Marta Nawrot In my opinion, when it comes to creating an avatar, the best option is to design avatar whose identity is very difficult to determine - Jagoda Wójtowicz

CYBER FASHION, DESIGNING AVATARS, AND PLAYING WITH IDENTITY

Our avatars have human shape i.e., arms, legs, palms are recognisable but still quite fluidal. At least in „Body Open Source” we used a shader, which made body shape more flowing. When people approached each other, the shader made it possible for them to physically unify, “merge” into one another. In other words, we have an image of the human body, but very fluid, melting into virtual matter.

Our avatars have human shape i.e., arms, legs, palms are recognisable but still quite fluidal. At least in „Body Open Source” we used a shader, which made body shape more flowing. When people approached each other, the shader made it possible for them to physically unify, “merge” into one another. In other words, we have an image of the human body, but very fluid, melting into virtual matter.

Source: Facebook

CYBERFEMINISM – VRCHAT AND COLLECTIVE VIRTUAL RITUALS

As for Pro-Abo Cyber Rave it obviously started after the All-Poland Women’s Strike, in which we actively participated. We took part in Oskar Sadowski’s „Manifesta” and „Dziady” projects. The idea came to us while conversing with Oskar and Pawel Mazur, another visual artist, about the need to create such a space. To make it possible to join All-Poland Women’s Strike using VR while being on a quarantine or if someone can’t physically take part in it… and to make virtual presence something more than just a stream.

We want to make the Internet and virtual space queerer, to feminise it and to build a safe environment, because VRchat is still full of oversexualised anima characters. Which is also OK sometimes, but only if there is a reasonable number of them… So, when we were working with Oskar and Pawel we created a concept of Virtual Revolution space i.e., space to protest in VRchat. The first event included watching and participating in Women Strike together. Virtual screen was showing a livestream of the protest, and people, who couldn’t protest “in reality”, were joining us under the avatars that we created together with Pawel. After that we started negotiations with other teams, such as Oramics or Destitute. Our goal was to organize something like the Pro-Abo Cyber Rave. We’ve changed the Virtual Revolution space so it can look more like a club. We were fundraising money for 3 pro-abortion teams: Ciocia Wienia, Ciocia Basia and Ciocia Czesia. We succeeded in raising some money for a good cause.

One of the most important causes to organize a rave like this one was to check to what extent it is possible to transfer physical protest on the streets to virtual reality. And what kind of feedback we could receive, is there any request for it… So many people who joined us at Pro-Abo Cyber Rave were using VR for the first time or have never used VRchat before. This event became the main trigger for them to join us and learn how to do it.

Source: artists’ private gallery, Facebook
Source: artists’ private gallery, Facebook
Source: artists’ private gallery, Facebook

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How to start creating a cyberfeminist VR? You will find part of the interview unpublished on the website.

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