Dance with Your Ghost
A conversation between the present body and its remembered selves, told through point clouds, movement and an autobiographical film.
Interactive narrative & film · Xiaoxia Chen
The idea & the making
Following a period of injury and recovery, I began to reconsider what strength meant to me. Dance with Your Ghost revisits experiences of vulnerability, physical power, struggle and recovery. Scanned objects, spaces and fragments of movement become a world in which my present body can encounter its past.
I used iPad LiDAR to scan everyday objects and scenes, discovering a ghost-like quality in imperfect captures of movement. With Kinect and TouchDesigner, I explored the relationship between my physical body, a live avatar and recorded point-cloud memories.
The four scenes—Innocence, Power, Struggle and Rebirth—turn self-reflection into an embodied narrative. I was interested in what it would feel like to approach, embrace or simply stand beside a former self.
Watch the work
Film documentation · 2:41Original project video · Sound available through player controls.