Our new XR Talent Program kicked off in June and we’re so ready to share the 6 selected XR creators. As they worked on their project during the summer also a bit of insight on what they are developing and experimenting on. You want to watch these talented people!
Flora Lemmens
Flora is currently focused on developing an immersive VR experience that explores the journey of an empty being searching for meaning and fulfillment. The project places users in the role of a hollow, vessel-like entity within a surreal, abstract landscape. As they navigate this world, the being gradually fills with experiences and memories, symbolizing the quest for self-discovery and identity. Through intuitive and non-traditional interactions with the environment, users engage in the process of gathering and absorbing elements that shape who they become. Flora’s work merges art and technology to create a contemplative journey, inviting users to reflect on their own internal search for fulfillment and the ways in which their experiences fill the void within.
Tim van Nielen
Tim’s project is called ‘For my Crime of being small’. It will be a challenging virtual reality climbing game with a story themed around the feeling of lagging behind, being physically small and vulnerable, the human hostility towards the lesser known or unknown, the danger and strength of ambition. Most importantly, the acceptance of yourself and others.
You’ll play as a small humanoid creature whose life is constantly being terrorized by giants as vast as landscapes. In this world you are as big as you feel about yourself. The creature wants to be as big as such giants, but it is small and has been small for a long time. It is time to climb these enormous giants so it may look one in the eye and ask them. Why do you try to destroy me? why are you so big, and why am I still so small?
You may fall many times, will you fall down and stay or try to go for the top.
Hazal Erturkan
Hazal is a multidisciplinary designer and researcher. Her practice focuses on biodesign, immersive storytelling and multisensory design. Hazal’s work is driven by a high responsibility to nature and ‘more than human’. She aims to push the boundaries of our current realities and captivate audiences to transport them to radical futures to imagine and contemplate alternative ways of living to inquire about different perspectives. During the Next XR Talent Program, she will focus on exploring how XR can help make the intricate and reciprocal relationship between human consciousness, microbial ecology, and sensory perception tangible. She aims to create a bridge between external experiences and our internal ecologies through a generative and interactive animation for the multisensory XR dining experience, Drinkable Memories. This project is a part of the larger project, Microbiome Restaurant, that she designed in collaboration with Marcel van Brakel founder and lead designer at Polymorf.
Eva Kröse
In Eva’s atmospheric and intuitive work, she explores existential questions, addressing themes such as identity, fear, and the search for meaning. She uses a combination of analog and digital techniques to investigate these topics. During the Next XR trajectory, she will delve into the potential of VR and the possibilities of translating the feeling and symbolic meaning of existential fear through an immersive experience—a profound and unsettling sensation that is difficult to express yet deeply felt. Her project aims to bring participants closer to this emotion while also providing a soothing experience, offering recognition and comfort to those who struggle with such fears, and bridging the gap between the intangible nature of existential anxiety and the tangible possibilities that immersive technology offers.
Joris de Jong
Joris’ project ‘What AI See’ explores the integration of the digital landscape into live circus performances by examining how sight bridges the physical and digital realms. While humans, robots, and AI perceive the world differently, this project seeks to explore how AI’s perception methods can enhance human abilities. ‘What AI See’ investigates the manipulation of sight, what we see and how we perceive it. By recognizing that sight can be beautifully deceptive, the project examines how our vision and insight are influenced by digital culture. Bringing these concepts to the stage allows us to express stories and explore different embodiments of perception. The project aims to shed light on both human and AI mechanics, demystifying the processes behind visual perception. By exploring the underlying code of visual experiences, ‘What AI See’ seeks to connect technology and performing arts in a meaningful, poetic way, offering perspectives on the role of technology in storytelling.
Mauritz Seerden
Maurtiz participated in the first few months of the trajectory but due to personal reasons he will not finish the program. But he was selected and part of this new group of crazy talented XR artists. A big shout out & virtual hug from the Playgrounds Team.
This talent program is part of Playgrounds Next and supported by the Netherlands FilmFund, Province Noord-Brabant, Netflix.