UCL BA Media x arebyte: Assemblages of Being

by Imogen Adeoye, Joe Cunningha, Ranya Dizayee, Lidia Tirado Gomez, Ali Jamil, Daisy Lang, Stephanie Lin, Haoen Li, Peter Popov, Hany Radwan-Radulescu, Rundong Sang, Uliana Sadovskaya, Nikoletta Varga, Chuhan Wang, Aaron Wang, Ruoyu Wang, Yang Wang, Yibing Wang, Shutong Xu, Dan Xue, and Eric Wei.

Opening Event : Thu 23 Jan 2025 6:30pm
Exhibition runs from Fri 24 - Sun 26 Jan, 1 - 6pm

Game engine projects examining the sense of self in the blurred boundaries between the organic and the artificial

ARTWORKS

Reticence of the Mind by Imogen Adeoye, Ranya Dizayee, Hany Radwan-Radulescu, and Lidia Tirado Gomez

Reticence of the Mind is a fictional narrative adventure experience exploring introspection, emotional growth and self-actualisation. The project immerses the player in a triad of repressed memories from the life of Andrew, a thirtysomething-year-old engagement manager, inviting them to reflect upon their own emotional responses to their own lived experiences.

The narrative content within each memory is loosely inspired by three Jungian archetypes central to the pursuit of psychological wholeness (also known as the individuation process): the shadow, the anima and the wise old man. Therefore, the shadow memory highlights the traits Andrew dislikes about himself and consequently tries to repress, the anima memory explores the qualities Andrew wants to manifest himself and thus looks for in others, and the wise old man memory touches on the knowledge Andrew should embrace to feel a greater sense of fulfilment.

To help Andrew recover each of his forgotten memories, take accountability for his past actions and ultimately make peace with his faults, the player must explore an unfamiliar environment and interact with the familiar objects within it: only then will Andrew be able to make amends with the former companion inside the memory in question. Are you up for the journey?

Under the Gaze of the House’s Watchful Eye by Joe Cunningham

Inspired by Gaston Bachelard’s seminal book The Poetics of Space, this installation explores domestic imagery and the dialectic of outside and inside by inviting the observer to interact. Participation facilitates an investigation of the scene’s nuances, primarily through the modes of sound and light. The lamp in the window represents a timeless symbol of solitude — one of “prolonged waiting”.

This sense of waiting may be shared by the participant as the understated nature of the scene subverts the dynamic conventions of many contemporary games.

The terms "outside" and "inside", according to Bachelard, “pose problems of metaphysical anthropology that are not symmetrical”. The windows with the blinds drawn are symbolic of this asymmetry as markers of an unknown space beyond the wall—one that is potentially vast or minute.

The title of the installation also highlights the paradoxical nature of the common understanding of outside and inside by personifying the lamp in the window as that which also looks with its light, localised and diffused. Looking is a role often reserved for the observer within a gallery environment, so by witnessing this gesture co-opted, the participant is invited to speculate: what is outside and what is inside?

DOORS by Ali Jamil, Daisy Lang, Stephanie Lin, and Eric Wei

DOORS is a VR experience that explores the disconnect between the mind, body, and soul when our consciousness becomes trapped in a specific moment in time, even as our body continues to move forward.
The project invites players to explore a series of childhood memories, each transformed into immersive, interactive environments. As they navigate through these nostalgic scenes,
players experience a growing sense of disconnection from the present, caught between past and present. To find their way out, players must journey through this liminal space, choosing the correct doors to progress and ultimately reach the conclusion.
DOORS will examine how nostalgia can be integrated into Virtual Reality, offering a way for audiences to engage with these emotions. It will also explore how feelings of disconnection and dissociation can be represented through interactive game technology.

While You Were Sleeping by Haoen Li, Yang Wang, Yibing Wang, and Chuhan Wang

While You Were Sleeping is an interactive narrative game exploring the fragile boundaries between memory, identity, and reality. Inspired by Christopher Nolan’s Inception, the game delves into the mind of a man accused of a serious crime. Unable to recall critical details, the protagonist journeys through fragmented memories to uncover the truth, guided by the player’s choices.

Players navigate evocative scenes—from tender moments like a nostalgic wedding to the tension of an interrogation room—each reflecting the protagonist's inner struggles. As layers of his consciousness unravel, shifting visuals and dialogues blur the line between what is real and imagined. Objects and voices become symbolic anchors, revealing warmth and doubt, while fractured memories challenge perceptions of guilt and innocence.

The game engages with themes of memory's malleability, identity's construction, and the mind's vulnerability under pressure. By piecing together clues and making pivotal decisions, players confront the interplay of truth and deception in a reality shaped by emotion and perception.

Aligning with The Body, The Mind, The Soul theme, While You Were Sleeping takes players on a multi-layered psychological journey, inviting them to explore the complex dynamics of human consciousness and the nature of truth.

Tiny Dancer by Peter Popov

Tiny Dancer is a narrative experience set in an alternate reality where mind-jacking
technology enables individuals to enter and control others’ minds. As a skilled mind-
jacker, you are tasked with inhabiting the brain of a world-renowned dancer who has
passed away moments before a defining performance. Your goal is to complete her final
dance by navigating the fragmented landscape of her mind, uncovering her memories and emotions all while ensuring the performance achieves the perfection, she devoted her life to pursuing. As you explore, you’ll piece together fragments of her identity through
emotional memories and vivid, sensory echoes.
Tiny Dancer examines the connection between art, identity, and obsession. The dancer’s
unyielding devotion to her craft has become an inseparable part of her sense of self, driving her pursuit of perfection even after death. This exploration of passion reveals the sacrifices made in the name of mastery and the human desire to be remembered.

Quattuor Scapes by Uliana Sadovskaya, Rundong Sang, Nikoletta Varga, and Aaron Wang

Quattuor Scapes is an interactive installation that invites visitors to journey through four distinct environments: a music festival, an office, a ballroom, and an astro/space station. Each scene represents a unique facet of human existence, with Body, Mind, and Soul embodied by NPCs who guide participants through immersive, thematic experiences.

These NPCs serve as reflections of the visitor’s inner world, offering thought-provoking activities and conversations that encourage introspection. Visitors’ choices and interactions shape their journey, uncovering how their decisions mirror their personality and exploring the dynamics of identity within contrasting scenarios.

Blending virtual and physical interactivity, Quattuor Scapes creates a seamless connection between digital and real-world experiences. Drawing on psychological theories, including Jungian archetypes and the Four Temperaments, the work crafts a deeply personal narrative that bridges the visceral, intellectual, emotional, and transcendental.

By navigating these multidimensional environments and engaging with the Body, Mind and Soul visitors are invited to explore the fluid and multifaceted nature of identity, turning the installation into an exploration of self-awareness and the interplay of human nature across varied contexts.

Through Within by Shutong Xu, Dan Xue, and Ruoyu Wang

This project explores the connections between the body, mind, and soul through interactive gameplay and multimedia installations. Centered on the idea that “the organ is the container of memories,” it reimagines the human body as a vessel for emotions, stories, and identities, with the heart as a central symbol. The heart, suspended within the installation, acts as a bridge between the physical and metaphysical. Players interact with the heart and its internal landscape, embarking on a journey to reconstruct the essence of their soul and achieve inner rebirth. Drawing from Chinese medicine, it links the five organs to the five elements, symbolizing how organs shape human essence. For instance, the kidneys, as a lake representing willpower, illustrate the connection between physiology and spirituality. The exhibition space integrates soft, fluid lines and tangible materials with digital projections, creating a multidimensional narrative that reflects the body’s interconnected systems. This immersive environment invites reflection on how physicality, consciousness, and spirituality shape identity, memory, and transformation. The project challenges the perception of the body as a biological entity and reimagines it as a vessel for life, memory, and transformation.