Ragnarok VR: Unrealised concepts | Art direction of characters and environments for VR horror game
October 4, 2015
Case: Combating VR Sickness in Immersive Installation for Public Spaces, pt. 1/2
November 21, 2017Amaryllis VR : Ocean
Pioneering design and development of room-scale virtual reality art installation for public spaces.
WWW.AMARYLLISVR.COM
Designed & developed by Mariam Zakarian.
Theoretical basis, R&D for installation is formulated in an 88 page master thesis for Zakarian's degree in Media Technology.
First public demo at CopenX VR/AR Conference, 2016.
Exhibited in galleries, museums, art fairs, conferences in Europe, East Asia and USA.
My Roles: CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT • UX DESIGN • 3D MODELING • TEXTURE ART • 2D ASSETS • MUSIC COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE • IMPLEMENTATION AND OPTIMIZATION • PHYSICAL INSTALLATION DESIGN • USER-TESTING • EXHIBITION AND PROMOTIONAL WORK
ROOM-SCALE VR:
Amaryllis VR : Ocean became one of the first original VR artworks in the world by a solo artist utilizing the room-scale system of the HTC Vive. Unlike in seated or standing VR experiences where the user remains stationary, room-scale allows for real-time 360˚ positional tracking of user movement and gestures for interacting with the virtual environment. This can in turn greatly amplify the illusion of VR.
Amaryllis VR : Ocean is a virtual reality (VR) art installation specifically designed for public exhibitions.
It is unique to VR that one can be transported to worlds which can never exist in real life. The surreal world of Ocean envelops the user in sound and visuals, and allows the physical body to move in the virtual world.
SUBMERGED IN ART:
Ocean offers a novel artistic experience by enveloping the user completely in the artwork. Unlike in other art media, it is possible to physically visit the world of the artwork. Impossible acts in the real world, such as looking inside physical objects and breathing underwater, become possible in the virtual realm as the user is invited to a surreal, but lifelike world. The design of Ocean deliberately plays with the sense of space and size in relation to the body. Giant, red ocean waves literally submerge the user in the virtual artwork. The anticipation of the waves and seeing them on all sides triggers a sense of physicality by harnessing the user’s memories and knowledge of how water behaves in the real world. As a result, the illusion is sometimes so effective that some users report holding their breath while "underwater".
THE VIRTUAL BECOMES PHYSICAL:
In Ocean, users can walk physically while in VR in a predefined space of 3x3m, approach objects to look inside them and move their head and body while interacting with the virtual environment. The abstract step of imagining what is seen on a 2D screen is removed. The head-tracking and stereoscopic view create the illusion of seeing the VR environment as one normally sees the real world, and the relationship between the body and the digital world becomes physical. The user's perspective on objects changes as it would in the real world, the parallax becomes noticeable and looking at objects above requires physically tilting their head back instead of clicking on buttons on a controller.
ORIGINAL VIRTUAL ARTWORK:
There are already many genres of VR art, the most popular of these being pieces created in VR-painting and -sculpting applications (Tilt Brush, Quill etc.). For Amaryllis VR : Ocean the ambition was to create a completely original artwork making full use of the room-scale system, as well as including interactive, animated elements and sound besides static pieces. For this reason, VR artmaking apps were avoided. The risk of imprecise controller tracking in the artmaking process, and the limited tools available in these apps often create a very specific look for the artwork, beyond the artist’s control. Every piece of visual and audio material in Ocean is designed, crafted and implemented by the artist, using a variety of techniques: 3D sculptures, texture layers, animations, lighting, recording and processing sound and music, as well as software optimization and user testing.
VR IN MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES:
Amaryllis VR : Ocean was made specifically for public art exhibitions. Prioritizing practical considerations in the design process was essential: ease of setup and use, affordability, accessibility, flexibility, mobility, robustness and to reduce staff costs during exhibitions.
Public spaces with a constant flow of people can result in queue formation. To create natural break points for users, preventing excessive use of the VR device, Ocean contains 5 minutes of content, which can either be set to turn off automatically or to loop infinitely, depending on the requirements of the exhibition. The artwork exists only in one copy and is exhibited in one place in the world at a time. It is not available via online digital services.
SOUND is one of the most important elements of Amaryllis VR : Ocean, enhancing the atmosphere and emotion of the visuals, as well as anchoring the aesthetic expression. The audio for the installation consists of nature sounds, acoustic instruments, synthesizers and vocal harmonies composed and recorded by the artist. To offer concentration and an optimal experience for users, closed headphones or earphones are highly recommended.
The installation was born out of the desire
to examine the powers of contemporary VR technology
in offering an artistic experience
which would be impossible to achieve in any other medium.
INTERACTION AND ACCESSIBILITY:
Exhibitions are expected to have a constant flow of visitors of varying ages, abilities and backgrounds. Casual use is to be expected, as users have limited time and attention.
The installation therefore does not require previous experience with VR technology or using one's body in a particular way, besides being able to view stereoscopic imagery and hearing sound in stereo. Having to learn to use hand-held controllers and gadgets in order to interact with a VR artwork can be too difficult, impractical and uninviting in a public setting, and these are deliberately excluded from the art piece.
The room-scale system does not have to be utilized, and it is possible to experience the piece from a comfortable, seated position as well.
AFFORDABLE TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATION:
The HTC Vive is commercially available and comes with customer support for easy installation and maintenance by museum staff members. In case of breakage or mishandling of the VR equipment due to repeated or incorrect use, it is relatively affordable to replace, compared to the VR technology of a decade ago.
Amaryllis VR : Ocean is lightweight and only requires being turned on and off daily. It is not strictly necessary to employ staff to show the piece. The installation is practical to set up and operate, as well as being mobile and adaptable to a large variety of spaces.
To create Amaryllis VR : Ocean
it was necessary to first design a novel way
to experience multisensory art.
This theoretical basis, technical research & development
was formulated in an 88 page master thesis by the artist.