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PERFORMANCE INSTALLATION: May 2-4, 1996, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, presented as part of Totally Wired by Bruce Gilchrist and Jonny Bradley. Supported by an ICA/Toshiba Art & Innovation Award with additional support for the seat of consciousness by Juggernaut. Lighting by Jo Joelson.

Divided By Resistance utilised a relational database of EEG (electroencephalograph) recordings, quick time movies and text narratives based on recollections from periods of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This data had been collected intensively over a period of one year.
Members of the audience were invited to interact with a sleeping performer via a technological communication conduit. "...It is the concern to create this distance, or rather this nearness, by drawing a spectator into a particular experience, which forms the focus for much of Bruce Gilchrist's recent work. Although developed from a research context that is generated by sophisticated scientific concepts, Gilchrist's performances also function on another, less immediatley apparent level which is dependent upon establishing a sensitive physical dialogue between artist and individual audience member."

From Low Tide: Writings on Artists' Collaborations by Jeni Walwin. Published by Black Dog Publishing, 1997.

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photo credit: Bonie Venture
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