_{^{©️Swaeny Nina Kersaan (2022-ongoing)}}

This project bridges physical and digital worlds of lived identity play and the economics of online self-representations by generating avatars through games, text, dungeons, role-play, illustrations or identity tokens, and *speculative fiction with players. Proxy, This Is Not A Performance is produced while travelling in Europe from July 2022 -onwards; through (residencies and collaboration with) and from youth centre Jong Actief in Den Bosch to V2_unstable media and the Summer Sessions at Sardegna Teatro, the Effort group in Cagliari, Joya: Air Vélez Blanco, LATRA and Artsformation in Mytilene, hackerspace /dev/lol/, Atelierhaus Salzamt, FMR23 in Linz, and to many others. Thank you.

Elements

1. The story, or Telling (see also: Proxy Script)
2. The character sheet > bio > identity token
3. Loading the game (see also: Session Zero)
4. *Coins
5. Role Play, or Game
6. Dungeons
7. Playbook
8. Logbook

this is a work-in-progress ➡️see incomplete descriptions of works below.

title: Proxy script 

year: 2022

medium: 'performance lecture', text, spoken word

extra info: The Proxy Script is, at its core a written text. I use to hold the papers in my hands and read them like a mantra. These papers loosened to notes, and the exact words told changed with time. And as with each telling, the narrator is less of a proxy to the text. Proxy becomes less script, more mouthpiece. Less writing, more voice. 

Proxy, This Is Not A Performance, project, play or session, starts with a telling (as in Ursula K. Le Guin’s book of the same name; The Telling, 2000) or performance lecture/reading. The (story)teller, Dungeons Master, proxy performer of the text or reader forms a circle with the partaker around them. They present objects; either the character sheets and a bag of coins and/or objects and identity tokens connecting to avatars. These they lay in front of them. They introduce the play by making sure every partaker is comfy (if possible seated and close to the ground on a pillow, blanket or lying down in the grass/sand). Being comfortable is a necessity in loading the game since we are all imagining things; people may log in and out during the Proxy Script. Partakers may or may not be asked to respond during the telling. This play can be hosted both indoors and outdoors, preferably with dimmed lights. Removed from distractions, or deliberately staged within them. The pace and duration depend on the script and the reaction of the partakers. At the end of the reading, we should applaud. 

location: various iterations have been told @ Jong Actief Lounge, Cultina, Campidarte (garden, hangar, and house), Effort Theatre, Bastion St. Remy

title: Character sheet 

year: 2022

extra info: To create a character, a player is given a printed character sheet on A4 paper. They are encouraged to find inspiration by looking at the reflection of an offered coin. Once the character sheet is completed, it can be given back to the Dungeon Master. The next step is for this person (me) to interpret and mould the data on the character sheet into a visual representation (bio and identity tokens). However, once the avatar's representation is captured by an identity token, the partaker no longer has control over it. The partaker can choose to play as a player by holding a coin or possessing any number of identity tokens.

title: Bio {example "Bloom"}

year: 2022-ongoing

medium: text

title: Identity tokens 

year: 2022-ongoing

medium: digital illustration

extra info: various techniques, 3-5 = 1 avatar set

title: 1st Digital Dungeon

year: 2022

medium: digital environment

extra info: Spoke + Hubzilla

This dungeon is an online meeting space and an archive of identity tokens and descriptions. It also functions as a stage that, oddly enough, confines these self-representations.

title: Session Zero 

year: 2023

medium: interactive collage + sound recording 

extra info: The purpose of a Session Zero is to figure out characters, how they fit in the world, and expectations during play. Proxy, This Is Not A Performance - Session Zero is a documentation of this process. The audience is invited to add to these documents.

The artwork created at LATRA is an interactive documentation of Proxy, This Is Not A Performance, which, as a broader project, reflects on the process of (digital) avatars and (online) role-play. 9 avatars are introduced in Session Zero. The artwork contains the notes from one-on-one peer-to-peer role-play sessions that have taken place during the residency. Through speculative fiction, imagining the world in the year 2089 when the digital transformation is complete, the audience is invited to add their thoughts on 4 papers, in response to 5 keywords. 

Keywords from role-play conversations: site, data, neutral, trans(fer), name

title: Not A Performance (Game)

year: 2023

medium: web-based (online and on-site) role-playing game

extra info: notaperformance.online

In this role-playing game setting, Avatar X gains value through the utilisation of Identity Tokens, which are symbolic representations of avatars and their actions within the game. This game was developed into an immersive experience at Salzamt and was tested in beta-version both online and offline. The final version was presented on a mobile screen at FMR23 festival clubhouse, where tactile coins and symbolic green rings were used to create an immersive experience for all players.

The game aims to boost one avatar's score through individual effort and teamwork. Identity Tokens are used to play specific avatar-actions and their dependence on others' actions.

The presenter acts as a dungeon master and wears a flashy outfit to add excitement. Their enthusiastic tone creates anticipation for potential rewards.

In FMR23 game, player actions/bets were recorded on the Proxy's (artist's) dress with a black marker, creating a blockchain-like ledger. This made the game more engaging and allowed the audience to keep track of player actions and transfers.

The game stage is crucial for the experience. A simple design can enhance immersion, no matter the location. Gameplay stays the same.

This game is created for the FMR23 festival from 6-11 June 2023.

See the scoreboard of FMR23 here 👇

title: *Coins

year: 2022-2023

medium: various plastic coins, flasks, small bottles and fabric bags

extra info: growing/shirking collection depending on amount/location of (active) players

title: Logbook

year: T.B.A.

Overview of equipment/ gear (used):
🤼 players (et al.)
🪙 coins
🍼 ———–
📜character sheets
🃏identity tokens
🎨illustration material (..)
📝(scrap)notes online+offline (see: Logbook)
📒ledger (any kind of digital bookkeeper like a spreadsheet, excel, see: Blockchain)
📽️projector/beamer
🎤microphone (?)
🎧headphones or soundbox 
🗣️dedicated meeting space (any)
🌐wifi network
📶server, and/or router/ raspberry pi
🧑‍💻code; and preferably a ‘coder’ (Phyton, HTML, CSS)
☕coffee or beer (must)
📘rules (see: Playbook)
📙edited logs (see: notes, Logbook)
📔artwork (see: Identity tokens etc)