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Pic by Janine Huizenga
exquisitely extreme
○ pam
○ pam
Motorized garment of a reinvention of the crinoline—using the strength of my vaginal muscles as a poetic-political-protective gesture, I electronically control a pair of extended hips.
2020
Format performance with electronic garment
Media garment (textiles, plastic, metal), wearable electronics, performance
Hardware EMG muscle sensor, vaginal and skin electrodes, Arduino UNO microcontroller, servomotors
Concept, creation, technology and performance by pamela varela
Special thanks to Marlot Meyer, Dani Ploeger, Arthur Elsenaar and Anja Hertenberger :)
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Gendered fashion has always imposed extreme beauty standards for women. The crinoline or hoop skirt is a device used in formal dresses that pumps the skirt into a conical shape. This jails the body, literally and metaphorically, into a hard object that stops mobility.
Pic by Janine Huizenga
Vaginal muscle sensor before insertion
Pic by ella hebendanz
Muscle activity read in Arduino IDE
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Turning oppression into expression, I reinvent the crinoline. In the form of extended hips powered by a servomotor, I electronically control a garment that flutters every time I contract my vaginal muscles. The action is both poetic and protective; we shall never forget the power we hold between our legs.
The sensor I use is a medical device that is commonly used for pelvic floor health. I transform its purpose and turn it into an expressive device for my art. By contracting my vaginal muscles or by moving my hips, the sensor is activated. I, then, can control anything running on electricity with my vagina.
I also use it in the projects transcendence - trance ‘n dance and Ĭichti@.