http://www.mediamatic.net/id/135532011-08-22T17:40:33+02:00The Girlfriend ExperienceMulti-player game with avatars of flesh and blood<p>Martin Butler presented four human avatars to play with. You could log in at home with your character of choice. You could direct the avatar, explore the space and challenge him or her. <br/>
The avatars could also be observed live in their Analog Villa on Wed, Thu & Fri from 18.00 - 23.00. You could also DINE with the avatars. Their favorite food: DIY SUSHI, a concept of Debra Solomon/culiblog.org. Every evening we offered workshops: make your own sock puppet and discover you non-verbal flirtings skills.</p>
<p><a href="http://girlfriend.mediamatic.net">Visit the avatars by clicking here: http://girlfriend.mediamatic.net</a>.</p><h6>Real or First Life?</h6>
<p>The rampant growth of online avatar communities such as <em>Second Life</em> and <em>World of Warcraft</em> has enabled the creation of a personal online social and economic existence. Simultaneously this triggers inherent questions about this existence, as it questions what the consequences will be for <em>first life</em>, or <em>reality</em>.</p>
<p>When you use virtual avatars you can do as you please. In <em>The Girlfriend Experience</em> you had to get to know each other first. Player and avatar explored what they can do for each other and how far the avatar wanted to go to execute specific desires. It was ambiguous who was really controlling the situation. You had ten minutes to figure out what you can do with your avatar. After that, your time was up and another player could take your place.</p>
<p>The title of the project, <em>The Girlfriend Experience</em>, denoted the paradoxical character that online social interaction has. On one hand, the safe anonymity by using the avatar, on the other the intimate releases and projections that can spread easily. For Martin Butler it was this merging of two apparent extremes, anonymity and intimacy, which characterized an important part of contemporary social traffic. The best paid prostitutes are the ones with whom the client feels as though he is with his girlfriend, or with whom he has a Girlfriend Experience.</p>
<h6>An Impression</h6>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13563/nl/the-girlfriend-experience-at-mediamatic">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/240/13563-400-309.jpg" height="309" width="400" alt="" title="The Girlfriend Experience at Mediamatic" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - The Girlfriend Experience at Mediamatic - Mediamatic.net" href="/13563/nl/the-girlfriend-experience-at-mediamatic">The Girlfriend Experience at Mediamatic</a></span></span></span></p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13868/en/do-you-really-need-to-speak-so-loudly">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/091/13868-400-300.jpg" height="300" width="400" alt="" title="Do you Really need to speak so loudly?" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Do you Really need to speak so loudly? - Mediamatic.net" href="/13868/en/do-you-really-need-to-speak-so-loudly">Do you Really need to speak so loudly?</a></span></span></span></p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13869/en/playing-dress-up">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/185/13869-267-400.jpg" height="400" width="267" alt="" title="Playing dress up" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Playing dress up - Mediamatic.net" href="/13869/en/playing-dress-up">Playing dress up</a></span></span></span></p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13847/nl/using-the-girlfriend-experience-at-mediamatic">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/247/13847-400-300.jpg" height="300" width="400" alt="" title="Using the girlfriend experience at Mediamatic" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Using the girlfriend experience at Mediamatic - Mediamatic.net" href="/13847/nl/using-the-girlfriend-experience-at-mediamatic">Using the girlfriend experience at Mediamatic</a></span></span></span><br/>
During the opening of The Girlfriend Experience players enjoy having contact with on of the avatars. After logging into an avatars the players use Skype to communicate with their avatar of choice. The avatars wear a headset with microphone, headphones and a video camera.</p>
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<p>Clip of The Girlfriend Experience during the opening. Background noise of about 300 visitors who watch the avatars and who give their comments. </p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13850/nl/human-avatars-follow-your-instructions-at">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/107/13850-300-400.jpg" height="400" width="300" alt="" title="Human avatars follow your instructions at Mediamatic" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Human avatars follow your instructions at Mediamatic - Mediamatic.net" href="/13850/nl/human-avatars-follow-your-instructions-at">Human avatars follow your instructions at Mediamatic</a></span></span></span><br/>
The avatars followed the instructions of the players. On the first evening each player got three minutes to get to know an avatars. From all over the world people tried to log in at the same moment. On the other evenings a player got ten minutes to play with an avatar. Photo: Michel Langendijk</p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/14914/en/girlfriend-experience-and-skype">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/096/14914-400-266.jpg" height="266" width="400" alt="" title="Girlfriend Experience and Skype" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Girlfriend Experience and Skype - Mediamatic.net" href="/14914/en/girlfriend-experience-and-skype">Girlfriend Experience and Skype</a></span></span></span><br/>
Image from the computer screen of a player. Photo: Kristin Maurer</p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/14919/en/the-girlfriend-experience-living-room">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/679/14919-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="" title="The Girlfriend Experience Living Room" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - The Girlfriend Experience Living Room - Mediamatic.net" href="/14919/en/the-girlfriend-experience-living-room">The Girlfriend Experience Living Room</a></span></span></span><br/>
The avatars talked with each other, with the players and, at times, with the audience through text panels. Photo: Kristin Maurer </p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/222201/en/pop-up">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/778/16881-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="" title="Girlfriend Experience" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Girlfriend Experience - Mediamatic.net" href="/16881/nl/girlfriend-experience">Girlfriend Experience</a></span></span></span><br/>
A player tried to give instructions to one of the avatars of his choice. Photo: Guido van Nispen</p>
<p>Using the soundchannels of the avatars and their ‘players’, Nathalie Bruys and Sasker Scheerder performed a live remix of The Girlfriend Experience at Mediamatic’s Radio Salon on Feb 15, 2007. <a href="http://www.scheerdersasker.nl/mp3/GirlfriendExperience.mp3">The Girlfriend Experience.mp3 (46:26 minutes)</a>.</p>
<p>This exhibition was made possible with the support of the <a href="http://www.afk.nl">Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst</a>, <a href="http://www.cedar.nl/thuiskopie/thuiskopiefonds.html">the Thuiskopie Fonds</a>, and the <a href="http://www.liminalinstitute.nl">Liminal Institute</a>.</p>The Girlfriend ExperienceMulti-player Game met avatars van vlees en bloed<p>Martin Butler zette vier menselijke avatars in om mee te spelen. Vanaf thuis kon je inloggen op een persoon van je keuze. Je stuurde de avatars aan en ontdekte wat je met hem of haar kon doen. De avatars waren beschikbaar op wo, do en vr van 20.00 tot 23.00 uur <a href="http://girlfriend.mediamatic.net">via deze link</a>.</p>
<p>De avatars waren van 18.00 tot 23.00 uur ook live te observeren in hun Analoge Villa. Vanaf zes uur kon je dineren bij de avatars. Hun favoriete maaltijd: DIY Sushi, een concept van Debra Solomon/culiblog.org. Iedere avond ook workshops: Maak je eigen Sokpop en ontdek meer over je non- verbale flirtkwaliteiten.</p><h6>First or Real Life?</h6>
<p>De onstuimige groei van online avatar communities zoals <em>Second Life</em> en <em>World of Warcraft</em> heeft ertoe geleid dat mensen in toenemende mate online een sociaal en economisch bestaan kunnen opbouwen. Tegelijk roept deze ontwikkeling vragen op over de aard van dit bestaan en de gevolgen die het voor omgangsvormen in 'first-life', het werkelijke bestaan, zal hebben.</p>
<p>Wanneer je gebruik maakt van virtuele avatars kun je doen en laten wat je wilt. In <em>The Girlfriend Experience</em> moest je elkaar eerst aftasten. Speler en avatar onderzochten wat ze aan elkaar hebben en hoe ver de avatar wil gaan in het uitvoeren van specifieke wensen. Wie hier de controle heeft was misschien niet altijd even duidelijk. Je kreeg tien minuten om uit te vinden wat je met je avatar kan doen. Daarna was je tijd om en mag een ander je plaats innemen.</p>
<p>De titel van het project, <em>The Girlfriend Experience</em>, verwijst naar het paradoxale karakter dat veel sociaal gedrag online heeft. Enerzijds de veilige anonimiteit van het gebruik van de avatar, anderzijds de intieme ontboezemingen en projecties van verlangen die zich makkelijker uiten. Voor Martin Butler is het precies dit samenvallen van twee schijnbare uitersten, anonimiteit en intimiteit, dat een belangrijk deel van het hedendaagse sociale verkeer typeert. De best betaalde prostituees zijn doorgaans die waarbij de klant zich voelt of hij bij zijn vriendin is, bij wie hij een Girlfriend Experience heeft.</p>
<h6>Een Impressie</h6>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13563/nl/the-girlfriend-experience-at-mediamatic">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/240/13563-400-309.jpg" height="309" width="400" alt="" title="The Girlfriend Experience at Mediamatic" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - The Girlfriend Experience at Mediamatic - Mediamatic.net" href="/13563/nl/the-girlfriend-experience-at-mediamatic">The Girlfriend Experience at Mediamatic</a></span></span></span><br/>
2 van de 4 avatars van vlees en bloed, foto Willem Velthoven</p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13868/en/do-you-really-need-to-speak-so-loudly">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/091/13868-400-300.jpg" height="300" width="400" alt="" title="Do you Really need to speak so loudly?" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Do you Really need to speak so loudly? - Mediamatic.net" href="/13868/en/do-you-really-need-to-speak-so-loudly">Do you Really need to speak so loudly?</a></span></span></span><br/>
'Do you really need to speak so loudly?!', voorbereidingen voor de opening op vrijdag 26 januari 2007, foto Jans Possel</p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13869/en/playing-dress-up">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/185/13869-267-400.jpg" height="400" width="267" alt="" title="Playing dress up" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Playing dress up - Mediamatic.net" href="/13869/en/playing-dress-up">Playing dress up</a></span></span></span><br/>
'Playing dress up", foto Marco Wessel</p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13847/nl/using-the-girlfriend-experience-at-mediamatic">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/247/13847-400-300.jpg" height="300" width="400" alt="" title="Using the girlfriend experience at Mediamatic" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Using the girlfriend experience at Mediamatic - Mediamatic.net" href="/13847/nl/using-the-girlfriend-experience-at-mediamatic">Using the girlfriend experience at Mediamatic</a></span></span></span> <br/>
Opening van The Girlfriend Experience. Spelers hebben lol met het aansturen van de avatars. Via Skype maakt een speler contact met een avatar naar keuze. Uitgerust met een koptelefoon en een kleine videocamera kan de avatar communiceren met de speler. Op het computerscherm van de speler ziet hij of zij hetzelfde als de avatar. Foto: Michel Langendijk</p>
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<p>Filmpje van The Girlfriend Experience tijdens de openingsavond. En dus veel achtergrond geluid van bijna 300 bezoekers die de avatars en de spelers bekijken en becommentariëren. </p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/13850/nl/human-avatars-follow-your-instructions-at">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/107/13850-300-400.jpg" height="400" width="300" alt="" title="Human avatars follow your instructions at Mediamatic" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Human avatars follow your instructions at Mediamatic - Mediamatic.net" href="/13850/nl/human-avatars-follow-your-instructions-at">Human avatars follow your instructions at Mediamatic</a></span></span></span><br/>
Menselijke avatars volgden de instructies op die ze kregen van de spelers die via Skype zijn ingelogd. De eerste avond kreeg iedere speler maximaal drie minuten om een avatar te leren kennen. De belangstelling was overweldigend. Op de andere avonden kreeg iedere speler tien minuten om contact te maken met een van de vier avatars.</p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/14914/en/girlfriend-experience-and-skype">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/096/14914-400-266.jpg" height="266" width="400" alt="" title="Girlfriend Experience and Skype" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Girlfriend Experience and Skype - Mediamatic.net" href="/14914/en/girlfriend-experience-and-skype">Girlfriend Experience and Skype</a></span></span></span><br/>
Beeld vanaf het beeldscherm van een speler. Foto: Kristin Maurer </p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/14919/en/the-girlfriend-experience-living-room">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/679/14919-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="" title="The Girlfriend Experience Living Room" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - The Girlfriend Experience Living Room - Mediamatic.net" href="/14919/en/the-girlfriend-experience-living-room">The Girlfriend Experience Living Room</a></span></span></span><br/>
De avatars communiceren ook met elkaar, en soms, met het publiek via tekstbordjes: Foto Kristin Maurer</p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/16881/nl/girlfriend-experience">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/778/16881-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="" title="Girlfriend Experience" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Girlfriend Experience - Mediamatic.net" href="/16881/nl/girlfriend-experience">Girlfriend Experience</a></span></span></span><br/>
Een fanatieke speler spoort zijn avatar aan. Foto: <a href="http://gnispen.blogspot.com/2007/02/i-took-my-interimic-partners-to-see.html">Guido van Nispen</a></p>
<p>Gebruikmakend van het geluid van de avatars en hun spelers maakten Nathalie Bruys en Sasker Scheerder performed a live remix of The Girlfriend Experience at Mediamatic’s Radio Salon on Feb 15, 2007. <a href="http://www.scheerdersasker.nl/mp3/GirlfriendExperience.mp3">www.scheerdersasker.nl/mp3/GirlfriendExperience.mp3</a></p>
<p>Deze tentoonstelling was mede mogelijk gemaakt door het <a href="http://www.afk.nl">Amsterdamse Fonds voor de Kunst</a>, het <a href="http://www.cedar.nl/thuiskopie/thuiskopiefonds.html">Thuiskopie Fonds</a> en het <a href="http://www.liminalinstitute.nl">Liminal Institute</a>.</p>
<p><span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/14993/nl/amsterdams-fonds-voor-de-kunst">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/985/14993-85-28.jpg" height="28" width="85" alt="" title="Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst - Mediamatic.net" href="/14993/nl/amsterdams-fonds-voor-de-kunst">Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst</a></span></span></span> <br/>
<span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/14997/nl/thuiskopie-fonds">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/147/14997-57-58.jpg" height="58" width="57" alt="" title="Thuiskopie Fonds" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Thuiskopie Fonds - Mediamatic.net" href="/14997/nl/thuiskopie-fonds">Thuiskopie Fonds</a></span></span></span><br/>
<span class="inline-image-wrapper ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/14998/nl/liminal-institute">
<img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/909/14998-85-67.jpg" height="67" width="85" alt="" title="Liminal Institute" playable="1"/>
</a><span class="caption-inline"><span class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Liminal Institute - Mediamatic.net" href="/14998/nl/liminal-institute">Liminal Institute</a></span></span></span></p>-4.9098252.3758ARTEFACTeventexhibition1