varukt | Inge Gappmaier - protect. there is no wind in geometrical worlds

It is a Duet with herself that Inge Gappmaier stages in protect. there is no wind in geometrical worlds, creating a dance performance in an atmosphere full of hypnotic tension. Embedded in a haunting soundscape, she reflects questions about an isolated, narcissistic self and its (self-)reflection in a digital world. ELIZA, the first chatbot, created in 1966, that imitates a psychologist and guides users into a conversation with themselves, serves as particular inspiration.

protect. there is no wind in geometrical worlds centers around digital self-observation and the difference between mirror image, virtuality and physical reality. Embedded in a haunting, uncanny soundscape, Gappmaier puts the human body in its self-contemplation between nature and digitality on stage. Particular inspiration for this ‘duet with oneself’ is drawn from the first chatbot ELIZA, created by computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum as early as 1966, who imitates a psychologist following the method by Carl Rogers and guides users into a conversation with themselves.

In her performance, Gappmaier picks up on practices of self-constitution in social media, filter bubbles and the associated algorithms as well as methods of self-optimization in our society, reflecting matters of protective spaces, control and power structures, loneliness, self-confinement and duality. The piece invites audiences to delve into a multi-dimensional world of geometry, accumulation and intuition. Following the lockdown-related online premiere during COVID in 2021, the stage version of protect. there is no wind in geometrical worlds will now finally be performed live for the first time in Vienna.