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Exquisite corpse (also known as "exquisite cadaver" or "rotating corpse") is a method by which a
collection of words or images are collectively assembled, the result being known as the exquisite corpse or cadavre
exquis in French. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, either by following a rule (e.g. "The
adjective noun adverb verb the adjective noun") or by being allowed to see the end of what the previous person
contributed.
History
The technique was invented by Surrealists in 1925, and is similar to an old parlour game called
Consequences in which players write in turn on a sheet of paper, fold it to conceal part of the writing, and then pass
it to the next player for a further contribution.
Later (perhaps inspired by children's books in which the pages were cut into thirds, the top third pages
showing the head of a person or animal, the middle third the torso, and the bottom third the legs, with children
having the ability to "mix and match" by turning pages) the game was adapted to drawing and collage. It has also
been played by mailing a drawing or collage — in progressive stages of completion — to the players, and this
variation is known as "exquisite corpse by airmail", or "mail art," whether the game travels by airmail or not.
The name is derived from a phrase that resulted when Surrealists first played the game, "Le cadavre exquis boira le
vin nouveau." ("The exquisite corpse will drink the new wine.")[1][2]
Variations
Some have played the graphic game with a more or less vague or general prior agreement about what the
resulting picture will be (though such application of reason makes the exercise not strictly a surrealist one).
There have been variations on the original procedure, such as the
exquisite corpse wang-dang-doodle — a type of very long, rearrangeable
exquisite corpse invented by Ted Joans.
The game of exquisite corpse has been adapted to be played using computer
graphics, the construction of Surrealist objects, and even an adaptation to
architecture has been proposed. The technique has also been used in making at
least one Doom level [1], and at NYU in making films [2].
A 3d exquisite corpse
In music, the composers Virgil Thomson, John Cage, and Lou Harrison (among others) collaborated on
Exquisite Corpse pieces, where each composer would only be privy to one measure of music.
"Totems Without Taboos," organized by the Chicago Surrealist Group
at the Heartland Cafe in Chicago, was the first exhibition of exquisite corpses
in the United States.
The San Francisco Cacophony Society performed the exquisite corpse game
using a theater full of people with banks of typewriters.
Notes
Breton, André (1948-10-07), Le Cadavre Exquis: Son Exaltation exhibition catalogue, La Dragonne, Galerie Nina
Dausset, Paris (October 7-30).
Brotchie, Alastair; Mel Gooding (1991). Surrealist Games. London: Redstone Press, pp. 143-144. ISBN 1-870003-
21-7.
External links
The text-based games:
An internet-based version of the game The Sentence Game another internet based game, a
http://www.cadavre-exquis.net/eng/Accueil/accueil.php rather free game play variaton http://www.sentence-
game.com/
Language Is A Virus Includes online writing games:
exquisite corpse, exquisite cadavulator, cut up machines, Cadavre - stories generated automatically (English,
automatic poetry. http://languageisavirus.com/ German and Russian) http://www.telling-stories.net/
An internet-based version of the game written in Java Instructions for playing the game on paper
http://ccgi.tomandlu.co.uk/corpse/corpse.htm http://www.madsci.org/~lynn/juju/surr/games/ExCad.html
Another internet-based version of the paper game called 2000-2004 ,181 exquisite corpse made at ice.org is
FreakMachine Blocked from school.
http://www.freakmachine.co.uk/home.asp
Image quilting, including zooming quilts
An early internet-based version at SITO (from 1994) http://www.onlinequilt.net/
http://www.sito.org/synergy/corpse/
Living Image http://www.someodd.com/li/
An internet-based version employing graphics software
(2003-2004) The Bluesfear Worm, consisting of over 100
http://stuph.com/exanimate/ecorpse.com/ pictures http://www.worm.bluesfear.com/index2.html
850 Million in the Snow (in French) - the longest bande dessinée Exquisite Corpse on the net
http://www.inedispirou.kalikoba.com/forum/850-millions-dans-la-neige-cadavre-exquis-bd-vt209.html
Variants:
The definitive version on Livejournal Moebius Corpse http://wiki.playagaingames.com/cgi-bin/mobius_corpse.pl
http://bigredpaul.livejournal.com/tag/exquisite+corpse
An example of a musical version (with links to others)
Online version with some new rules http://www.xiphoidprocess.com/ec4/
http://www.deliciousdemon.com/addaline/
Mobius Text Artist Presentation and An online Flash animation
An example of a Movie and musical version version
http://www.cadavreexquis.tv/ http://www.csusm.edu/fossilmedia/mobius_project/mobius_project.html
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