Experiencing Interruptions?

Improvising Consciousness

IMPROVISING CONSCIOUSNESS (IMPCON) is a work of speculative evolution: a webdoc which combines creative non-fiction and science fiction to critique existing theories that equate human intelligence with language, men, and rationality. IMPCON purports to be the website of Jennifer Årnstay, Professor of Material and Analogical Eco-Cognition, visiting from an "unspecified time and place." Årnstay offers an alternative account of the evolution of human consciousness arguing that environmental disasters have resulted and will result in major changes to cognitive processes and that language and narrative are currently distorting and limiting our cognitive capabilities. Her lectures give a "scholarly" account of human cognition from 2.5M BCE to 3,000 CE; and are accompanied by “cognitive exercises” that play at the borders of improvisation, performance and game.

Website: http://impcon.org
Lectures: http://impcon.org/?page_id=142
Cognitive Exercises: http://impcon.org/?page_id=166

  • Josephine Anstey
    Director
    He Loves Me Not, Workers of the World, Office Diva, Human Trials, The Trial the Trail, The Thing Growing, The Bus Stops Here
  • Josephine Anstey
    Writer
    He Loves Me Not, Workers of the World, Office Diva, Human Trials, The Trial the Trail, The Thing Growing, The Bus Stops Here
  • Josephine Anstey
    Producer
    He Loves Me Not, Workers of the World, Office Diva, Human Trials, The Trial the Trail, The Thing Growing, The Bus Stops Here
  • Josephine Anstey
    Key Cast
    "Jennifer Årnstay "
    The Bus Stops Here, Let's Play Prisoners, I like girls for friends
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Web / New Media
  • Runtime:
    40 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Josephine Anstey

Josephine Anstey’s early career was in collaborative experimental video work including “Let’s Play Prisoners”, “The Bus Stops Here”. From 1995 her main creative and research focus was the production of responsive computer-mediated experiences, which resulted in works of interactive drama, virtual & mixed reality, and intermedia performance populated by intelligent agents, networked human actors, and puppet avatars, including “The Thing Growing,” “Office Diva,” “Human Trials.” Her most recent project is “Improvising Consciousness” which includes both experimental video and participatory exercises that play at the border of performance and game. Her projects have shown internationally and she has work in the permanent collections of the Ars Electronica Center and MOMA.

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Director Statement

Thematically my work has always dealt with consciousness and identity: how they are constructed psychically, socially, environmentally. Earlier work considered the construction of gendered idenity, later I became interested in building responsive "intelligent" agents designed to dynamically influence the construction of the user's identity as they played. This project, with flamboyant pomposity, purports to be a complete explanation of the evolution of consciousness.