4. THE STATE OF DARKNESS | MEDIT
From 2018 to 2019, I worked as a Pipeline Producer and Real-Time Engine Designer for MEDIT, the Centre of Excellence in Media Innovation and Digital Culture at Tallinn University and the Baltic Film School. One of the main projects I contributed to was The State of Darkness, which also tied into my Master’s Thesis research on Volumetric Intelligence: A Framework for the Creation of Interactive Volumetric Captured Characters. The project was presented at several conferences and art festivals, including the Prague Quadrennial’s Blue Hour 36Q° in 2019.
The State of Darkness is a VR installation where participants find themselves locked in a prison cell with a distressed person. The encounter’s emotional impact is tracked by biosensors, linking the participant’s fate to that of their fellow prisoner. I was responsible for the entire production, collaborating closely with director and researcher Pia Tikka, from concept to 3D game engine creation and exhibition at various festivals and academic conferences.
The project explores the symbiotic co-presence of human and non-human entities. Central to the narrative is Adam B, a virtual character trained to respond to human facial expressions. His non-human narrative unfolds based on real-time biosensor data, influenced by the participant’s behavior. The story of Adam B emerges from his algorithmically simulated mind, while the participant experiences the human narrative.
Supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, VCL Lab Aalto University, and the EU Mobilitas Pluss Grant from Tallinn University, the project also generated several academic papers published in various journals.
Presented at:
2020/ Transdisciplinarity in Science and Arts – Capes Print Symposium at UFSM, Brazil
2019/ Actor and Avatar Seminar at ZHdK - Zurich, Switzerland
2019/ Master Class at Actor and Avatar at ZHdK - Zurich, Switzerland
2019/ Prague Quadrennial Blue Hour 36Q° – Prague, Czech Republic
2018/ ICIDS2018 - Dublin, Ireland
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