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Above: Photos of performance participants with I’m Not Garrett Lynch (IRL) badges at Real Virtuality: a netrospective of the Networked Art of Garrett Lynch, Open Signal in Portland, Oregon, US. Click to view.

Above: Photos of performance participants wearing I’m Not Garrett Lynch (IRL) badges at Self as Actor : colonising identity, NeMe Arts Centre in Limassol, Cyprus. Click to view.

I’m Not Garrett Lynch (IRL) – Identity Badge Performance, occurred as part of the exhibition Real Virtuality: a netrospective of the Networked Art of Garrett Lynch online and at Open Signal in Portland, Oregon (US) on February 9th 2018 and subsequently as part of the exhibition Self as Actor : colonising identity at NeMe Arts Centre in Limassol, Cyprus, which ran from the 15/02/2019 – 15/03/2019.

The performance continuing ideas from prior performances about identity, ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ in Second Life and subsequent related works outside of Second Life. Participants in the performance wore badges stating I’m Not Garrett Lynch (IRL). Instead of connecting/relating my physical identity with my representation’s identity (my avatar) across ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ spaces as occurred in prior performances, the aim was to extend my identity to a distant social space through the acknowledgement of the identity of the Other(s). By juxtaposing identities in this way I had a ‘virtual’ presence, participant’s identities were emphasised and a social situation was formed.

Many thanks to Peripheral Forms for organising the event for the initial performance to occur within and for collaborating in the performance’s conception as well as NeMe for organising the event for the second performance. Thanks to all those who participated.