Dissociative Dialogues

BACKGROUND Dissociative Dialogues contributes to research concerning the nature of the sculptural encounter in relation to how our bodies interact with art objects. The work is designed to encourage playful interaction. It draws upon the absurdity of Dada, the spontaneity of Happenings, the collaborative inventiveness of Fluxus and the playfulness of the work of artists like Erwin Wurm or the video work of John Wood and Paul Harrison. It also engages with research in neuroscience into daydreaming and processes of cognitive dissociation occuring during physical activity. CONTRIBUTION Dissociative Dialogues is a participatory work involving the viewer in biomechanical action in order to promote specific types of thinking. In particular, this work aims to promote daydreaming by invoking a mild mental dissociation. It contributes to interdisciplinary research and engages with debates in participatory art, humour and hybrid objects alongside issues surrounding biomechanical movement in education and occupational therapy. SIGNIFICANCE Dissociative Dialogues was selected by the Kings Ari committee for exhibition in August 2015. Discussions of this work have been presented at the following conferences: • Summers, F., 'Daydreaming and Dissociation - physical encounters as cognitive strategies in sculptural practice' (Conference presentation for Transversal Practices: Matter, Ecology and Relationality, Victorian College of the Arts, September 2015) • Summers, F., 'Dissociative dialogues - the power of bio-mechanical movement in sculptural practice' (Conference presentation for The Sixth Asian Conference of Arts and Humanities 2015, Osaka, Japan)