Becoming Dragon performance and demo, wed night

come hear me read some new poems and explain the technology behind becoming dragon wednesday night, april 15th at 6pm SLT!

*Becoming Dragon*
a Project Discussion by Micha Cardenas

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 @ 6PM

Refreshments will be served.

Teleport to the performance in-world:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Seventh%20Eye/144/39/235

New Media Lounge / Cal(IT)2, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093

The New Media Lounge is excited to bring MFA Candidate, Micha Cardenas for an exclusive motion capture demonstration in the Performative Computing Lab at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA). Micha will be discussing her recent project /*Becoming* *Dragon*/, a 365 hour, (2 week long) performance in Second Life. The performance is believed to be the first of its kind in Second Life, and Micha will talk about her experience and research, in addition to a techie demonstration of the motion capture setup involved.

Performative Computing Space in CRCA is located in Cal(IT)2, (Atkinson Hall) in Warren college, on the first floor. Make a right past the elevators, follow the hallway to the right once again, and you can’t miss it. There will be signs posted as well.

For more information on Becoming Dragon please visit:

https://secondloop.wordpress.com
http://www.calit2.net/newsroom/release.php?id=1431

Open Studios this weekend!

Come see an installation of documentation from Becoming Dragon this Saturday, April 4th, from 2-8pm at UCSD! It will include video documentation, digital prints and a 3d fabrication of my dragon avatar.

Upgrade! Tijuana, April 29th, 2009

Come see a discussion of Becoming Dragon and the Transborder Immigrant Tool, along with a few other amazing new media projects on April 29th at Lui Velazquez!

KUSI TV refuses to have me on because I’m transgender

I am so upset. The reporter from the San Diego Reader, Ernie Grimm, contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I would do a television interview with him when the story came out on the cover of the reader. I accepted and the reader’s publicist contacted me about TV interview dates. They scheduled an interview with me for this morning with an 8:50am arrival time for a 9:20am live air interview. I arrive on time, conservatively dressed with a long skirt, tights and a scarf up to my neck. We chat cordially in the break room first and then move to the green room. The publicist goes to talk to the anchor, and returns at 9:18AM to say “Micha I have some uncomfortable news. I’m so sorry, but because of how you’re dressed, they can’t have you on the show.” She goes on to tell me how they want to cover the Second Life aspect of the story and not talk about transgender issues at all.

Read on at my blog…

3 Minute Documentation Video

I prepared this for another festival submission. I’m working on a longer video for Open Studios on April 4th at UCSD. Come out and see it! Until then, enjoy this…

Becoming Dragon, 3 Minute Documentation from azdel slade on Vimeo.

Becoming Dragon on cover of the San Diego Reader and at Open Studios

Guess who’s on the cover of the San Diego Reader this week? ME! So pick up a copy and check it out, or read it online here and leave the author a comment!

I’m very happy, and very annoyed with this article on the cover of this week’s issue of the major San Diego weekly publication. I’m happy that the project is getting so much exposure. I’m very unhappy that the author chose to ignore my choice of pronouns, present the whole project as some mad scientist project “at tax payer’s expense” and put a ridiculous picture on the cover instead of one of the many photos and second life screenshots from the performance. At least the author had the courage to admit at the end of the article that I told him what pronouns to use and that he chose not to. Overall, I think that he quoted me at length, and accurately, on the core issues on the performance, which I really appreciate.

Also, if you’d like to see documentation of Becoming Dragon, life size, up close and personal, come to Open Studios at UCSD next Saturday, April 4th!

More RL photos of Becoming Dragon

Here are some more real life photos of Becoming Dragon, including the last few days, the closing party and the very last moments of the performance.

Online-world immersion probes ‘possibilities of transformation’

Today’s Sunday paper featured Becoming Dragon on the front page of the morning edition! Read the article below…

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/dec/21/1a21virtual162313-online-world-immersion-probes-po/?uniontrib

2 days later

Hello everyone,

The end of the performance was wonderful. Friends stayed in world until the very end. I am so grateful to everyone.

It is two days after the perfomance and I feel much better. I saw my doctor and my blood pressure is a little high and my vision is back to 20/20. I don’t feel 100% better, but mostly better. I think it’ll only be a few days.

I just wanted to post this video that calit2 made. Enjoy…

Watch it in HD here! (It looks much better in HD)

Becoming Dragon Closing Reception / Party, Tues 8pm

Tuesday night, December 16th, will be the last night of my 365 hour durational performance, Becoming Dragon. To celebrate, I would like to invite you to join me in my space in Second Life and in Real Life at 8pm SLT for some casual hanging out, music and drinks.

Where: The Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA), Atkinson Hall, Visiting Artist Lab #1613, UCSD, and in Second Life.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Seventh%20Eye/144/39/235