Traces of the Body in Digital Performance

Abstract

It is still the case that in many discussions about digital literature, the digital textwork is thought of as some sort of immaterial, disembodied, dematerialised object. In this paper, the author seeks to counter that view strongly by presenting a series of digital textworks which exemplify the performativity of form. They display the multiple ways in which the body (and by extension, subjectivity) is a necessary and vital element in the composition, distribution, reception and realisation of digital text. The question which arises from this is not so much is there a body present, but what are the myriad, embodied functions — technical and creative — which operate within the digital environment?

Keywords

• embodiment
• body
• digital text
• performance
• performativity
• digital materiality