Bodies INCorporated AI-researched
Victoria Vesna, 1996
VRML 3D web environment
A participatory web artwork where visitors construct virtual bodies from predefined parts and textures, then inhabit a 3D VRML world — critiquing corporate ownership of the body and identity in networked space.
“Bodies INCorporated” is a pioneering web artwork by Victoria Vesna, launched in 1996. Visitors to the site could construct virtual bodies by selecting from a menu of body parts, textures, and sounds, then place their created bodies into a navigable 3D VRML environment shared with other participants.
The work critiques corporate commodification of the body and identity, using the language of incorporation (bylaws, shareholders, subsidiaries) as a framework for virtual embodiment. It was one of the most ambitious uses of VRML for artistic purposes and is frequently cited in digital art history and preservation literature.
The interactive 3D components are no longer functional in modern browsers due to the obsolescence of VRML plugins.