At the Embodiment: 20 Years On scientific symposium during the Venice Biennale (21–22 May 2026), neuroscientist Mavi Sanchez-Vives presented The Body as a Tool for Change: Scaling Virtual Embodiment in Gender-Based Violence Rehabilitation.
Her presentation explored how virtual embodiment, the experience of inhabiting a virtual body through immersive VR, can promote empathy, challenge harmful behaviours, and support the rehabilitation of perpetrators of gender-based violence. By translating cutting-edge neuroscience into scalable interventions, her work demonstrates the potential of immersive technologies to drive meaningful behavioural and social change.
The presentation aligns closely with the META-TOO project’s mission to harness innovative technologies for preventing violence and fostering safer, more inclusive societies.