ABSTRACT
To speak about presence effects is, paradoxically, to think right away about absence, since there can be no presence (effects) unless there are bodies present. This is obvious. By ‘presence effects,’ one means the feeling of a body’s (or an object’s) presence that these bodies or objects create the impression of really being there, even if the audience rationally knows that they are not. What constitutes this presence or presence effect? Consequently, I would like to try to disentangle the different meanings of the concept through the various disciplines: from the performing arts (theatre and dance) to the media and digital arts, including avatars.
