Sleeping Eyes: VR Narcolepsy Storytelling through the Duality of Presence
Symposium:
- ISEA2020: 26th International Symposium on Electronic Art
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More presentations from ISEA2020:
Session Title:
- Matters Mattering: Collective Interactions and Play
Presentation Title:
- Sleeping Eyes: VR Narcolepsy Storytelling through the Duality of Presence
Presenter(s):
Abstract:
Sleeping Eyes is an interactive cinematic virtual reality (VR) piece that tells the story of a narcoleptic Korean artist, Sungeun Lee. VR was used as a medium to represent the symptoms of narcolepsy and provoke fundamental reflections on the boundary between dreams and reality. In VR, even if we are immersed in the virtual world, we simultaneously exist in the physical world. This duality of presence and embodiment resonates with Sungeun’s narcoleptic states. We investigated these ontological similarities as a catalyst to provoke the audience’s self-reflection about Sungeun’s situation. Non-linear narrative and gamification techniques were applied to allow the audience actively explore the stories. Additionally, a heart-rate sensor was used to visualize the audience’s stress states, implicitly making them aware of their own feelings about the artwork.
