Workshops conducted with the artist and researcher Lorena Lisembard as part of the program "La Fabrique du Regard" at Le Bal, Paris. The sessions were carried out with the classes of ITEP Le Coteau (Vitry-sur-Seine) and Les Planètes (Maison-Alfort), and reactivated during the "La Fabrique du Regard" festival in June 2023 at Le Bal (Paris).
"Our proposal aims to lead the workshop participants to engage in critical reflection and redefine the concept of avatars. This reflection can be initiated by exploring with them the role that avatars play in our imagination (augmented bodies, digital doubles, archetypes) through examples from popular culture (movies, series, etc.) and the concrete forms they take in virtual worlds (video games, metaverses, etc.). By considering their different dimensions (vehicle, interface for self-protection, means of communication, etc.), their limitations, and their potential virtues, we aim to encourage students to conceive non-stereotypical forms of avatars that are adapted to specific contexts. Through the technique of paper collage, we intend to stimulate their imagination to envision strange bodies and extraordinary hybridizations. Additionally, by utilizing an artificial intelligence program, the idea is to reintegrate their creations into a digital context in order to explore, within our collective visual imagination, other possibilities of unforeseen hybridizations."
