Virtual Bodies

Accessibility or access – Refers to the degrees of ease to which something can be had, used, or accessed. In many of these videos, accessibility refers to physical and virtual spaces as well as tools and knowledge. More information on accessibility and the MacKenzie Art Gallery’s Accessibility Statement can be found here.

Artist residency – The activity of an artist produced in a specific space for a duration of time. Often these are programs offered by groups or institutions designed to support the creation of artistic work in a new environment. 

Autotheoretical or Autotheory – An approach to philosophy and theory that blends these discourses withuses autobiography and other more subjective methods personal ways of knowing.

Avatar – An image used to represent a video game player or digital platform user in those digital spaces. Often, games and digital platforms will allow you to change the appearance of your avatar, and use it to move around and interact with a digital world. 

Binary – A binary system offers only two options. Binary systems can be used by computers to transmit information through either 1’s or 0’s. A gender binary system usually includes only male or female genders, to the exclusion of others. 

Discourse – The large discussions being had by people across a specific field or on a specific topic. 

Identity – The way in which individuals perceive themselves. This can also be influenced through society assigning identities to groups based on perceived commonalities. 

Ironic – Verbal irony is when something stated is intended to have a different or opposite effect than expected. Situational irony is when something has an unexpected outcome. Dramatic irony is when an audience knows something that a character in a story does not. Artists often use irony as a tool of expression.

Modifiers or mods – Game modifiers or mods are add-ons to existing software and platforms that change aspects of their user experience. Mods are often created by fans of games to expand gameplay.  

Praxis – The process of applying theory in a practical way, such as through an art practice. 

Representation – The depiction of someone or something, usually through media or the arts. 

Transfeminism – A form of feminism that includes trans women in its’ discussions around women’s rights and equality. Trans feminism could also be considered part of intersectional feminism, a form of feminism that seeks to include other groups that often get left out of discussions on feminism. These groups can include people who are discriminated against because of their race, class, sexuality, age, or immigration status. Intersectional feminism considers how these different statuses can overlap, often creating even greater inequality. It also considers the historical context of these social statuses- for example, how colonialism affects Indigenous women’s rights in Canada. This term was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989.