Virtual Reality, the body, and sensing the world around us

In this open artist discussion, we welcome former Arts at CERN resident Su Wenchi—Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and VR creator—and Naima Karim, artist and VR creator, to explore the role of the body in shaping our perception of the world and how these experiences can be translated into virtual reality.

In Mirage, Karim combines a VR headset with a haptic vest to create a deeply embodied experience of depression. Inspired by her daughter’s struggle with the condition, the work invites participants to engage with emotional and physical sensations in an immersive way.

By contrast, in Sensing Dark Matter, Su Wenchi draws on scanning technologies and motion capture to create a poetic parallel between dancers navigating the spaces of the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory and scientists’ ongoing search for dark matter—the elusive substance believed to constitute most of the universe.

In conversation with Giulia Bini, Head of Arts at CERN, the two artists will discuss their creative processes, inspirations, and the potential of virtual reality to expand our understanding of the body, perception, and the unseen.

The discussion will take place in the intimate setting of the Science Gateway Foyer. This event has been support by the Bureau de Genève, Délégation Culturelle et Économique de Taipei.

Open to all. No reservation required. Discussion in English.

In collaboration with Arts at CERN.