Destabilization is what new technology is all about, at least in the eyes of one SXSW panelist, Joshua Morrison.
If the short-lived Pokémon Go fad was any indicator, virtual reality and augmented reality have clearly led to an unstable, shifting landscape for developers.
This concept of destabilization is precisely what Morrison is attempting to demonstrate with his SXSW panel, Virtual Life’s a Drag: Queering VR.
“This panel, there’s two concepts that it engages,” Morrison said. “The concept of virtual reality, and the concept of queerness. Virtual reality is something that’s talked about quite a bit at something like South by Southwest.”
Queerness, of course, deals directly with an individual’s identity, and despite strides in the LGBTQ community, Morrison feels as though the movement has still not been pushed to the forefront.
Morrison believes that many people tend to think of gender identity as stable and fixed. He says the same concept is applied to reality, which makes virtual reality, much like queerness, an agent of change.
“I’m trying to link those two concepts, in sort of, a novel way,” Morrison said. “When we think about reality, we think about what is objectively real. When we talk about virtual reality, we suddenly shifted gears, and we’re talking about what really matters is experience. What is real, is what is experienced.”
One of Morrison’s biggest influences in designing this panel was the online work that digital drag artists created. Naturally, Morrison reached out to these artists to participate in his panel.
“That kind of led me down this wormhole of these really interesting artists, doing really creative work that operates right at the intersection of these two ideas,” Morrison said.
People don’t necessarily always link these two concepts, and Morrison wants to exhibit that the two are actually deeply connected because of today’s technology.
The other speakers at the panel include Alison Bennett, Illya Szilak and Liss Lafleur.
When and Where:
Monday, March 13
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Hilton Austin Downtown – Austin Chamber of Commerce / 500 E. 4th St.
Find out more: Virtual Life’s a Drag: Queering VR