The Collective Body (TCB) is a interdisciplinary audio/video project that proposes to capture the circumstances of life in isolation during Covid-19. Using current communications technologies as a central metaphor, the artists record themselves separately: dancers make videos of specific body parts, then musicians respond with recordings, which are sent to other dancers who then respond with videos, which are sent to musicians….and the rhizome-like pattern of simultaneous emergence expands. The material is gathered, tagged, and shaped into a haunting, shimmering collage of diverse bodies projected onto the exterior of a public building, with outdoor speakers providing sonic sensuality. In prioritizing visual and sonic expression over linguistic communication, which breaks the world into distinct, individual entities, we offer ways of being with others that simultaneously acknowledge both differences and fundamental dependencies. The TCB project explores the constraints and unique possibilities of digital connection, while serving as a reminder of the deep importance and irreplaceability of shared physical space.

Andrew Stauffer (audio arrangement and musician), Neil Cadger (video arrangement and movement), Lin Snelling (dramaturgical support), and 30+ artists across North America.

http://www.thecollectivebody.ca