Anke Schiemann

O.B.E., 2021

VR experience for Oculus Rift

O.B.E. stands for out of body experience and is the title of a series of XR projects that deal with the nature of consciousness and its connected phenomena. Consciousness is the appearance of the world. The ability to shift the first-person perspective actively inwards, exploring our emotional state and to steer our attentions towards thinking processes. The human consciousness differs from other biologically evolved phenomena fundamentally, that it makes a reality appear in itself. „The conscious brain is a biological machine, a reality generator, that tells us what exists and what not. “ (Metzinger, Der Egotunnel)

Is therefore reality as we experience it every day just a mental stage set, a representation of the world itself? Are we living in a virtual reality already?

The O.B.E. virtual reality experience is a five scene immersive essay film exploring in a poetic way ideas of modern consciousness research.

The dancer that appears throughout O.B.E. is recorded volumetrically with a Kinect camera and displayed as a particle cloud, a loosely connected structure, similar to our reality model, which can also disintegrate at any moment. The dancer moves smoothly in between realities, points out the moments when the reality simulation is breaking down.

 

Duration: 10 minutes

 

Roomscale

 

Music: Jean Delouvroy

Dancers: Melli Müller, Roberta Pupotto

Voice: Luke Swenson

IMAGES

VIDEO LINK

ABOUT THE ARTIST

As a media artist and filmmaker, I am interested in exploring new ways of narrative and shape them to immersive, sensory installations. I like to experiment with XR, where grammar is not established yet and much scope for experimentation to be found. Throughout all my works, animation always serves as a tool to inject a surreal element and bring fine art practice such as drawing and painting into the filmic experience. My background as a set designer helps me to design the stage for these moments of distorted reality to take place.

If you are interested in exhibiting or viewing this artistic VR experience, please send an email to us.

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