Location Mindfulness in Virtual Reality
Sitting under a highway is a research-creation project by Hector Centeno, presented as an interactive audiovisual virtual and presential space. By wearing a head-mounted display, a hand tracking device, headphones and an electroencephalography band, the audience experiences photorealistic 3D visuals and spatial audio that are the product of an artistic practice centred on the attentive aesthetic exploration of a physical place.
Postmodern society is characterized by an increasing disconnect with our inhabited spaces. The globalization efforts made by commercial interests and the emphasis on the utilitarian conceptualization of the world affect local culture, contributing to a thinning out of the relationships with our lived places. Making reference to the standing-reserve theory of Heidegger; the geophilosophy of Edward Casey; Zen meditation; soundscape composition and other audiovisual art practices, Hector suggests that artistic processes informed by the attentive exploration of a geographical location may contribute to create awareness about the nature of this disconnect.
Technology
Visuals: Epic’s Unreal Engine 4, Oculus Rift (HMD), photogrammetry & stereoscopic videos
Audio: Cycling ’74 Max, ambisonic soundscape recordings (custom designed B-Format microphone), realtime sound processing, 3rd order ambisonic spatialization
Interactivity: Leap Motion (hand tracking) and Muse EEG Band (electroencephalography)
