VIRTUAL REALITY / AUGMENTED REALITY
WE CANNOT HELP BUT TOUCH.
Presented in Los Angeles in 2022.
Sculpture and concept by Sophie Gamand. VR design and soundscape by Sten Ulfsson.
In this VR piece, visitors were invited to enter a magical forest. In a clearing, they discovered a dog. As they approached the peaceful scene, the dog would freeze, slowly shrivel and turn into a statue. In the real room, a sculpture of the size of the VR dog allowed people to transfer their virtual experience into a physical one.
This piece is a commentary on consent and agency, in particular when it comes to the natural world, and what humans do to a world they cannot help but touch.
UNTITLED.
Presented during the Portal festival in New York, 2019.
VR design by Sten Ulfsson.
This piece was created as a site-specific installation for the festival Portal on Governor Island in New York City (2019).
Visitors were invited to peek into a closet. As they approached the dog, a gate opened up, the inside of the closet turned into an infinite galaxy. Looking down, they could see a small planet with a lonely dog sitting on it. Unreachable, the dog was crying. The cries were recorded with one of my foster dogs, Luna, who had severe isolation anxiety and would scream if I even left the room.
CHAINED DOG, AUGMENTED REALITY.
Video, iPad, chain, collar, augmented reality. 2018.
Made possible with the support of Current Studios. Presented at The Invisible Dog Art Center in 2018.
This Augmented Reality piece features a video I captured in Texas (Houston) during a visit with a local rescue. Chained dogs are not illegal in that area, and pretty common.
With Augmented Reality, it is possible to overlap two realities into one experience. By scanning an empty space with the device, the visitor discovers the chained dog, which is invisible to the naked eye.
Playing with the visible/invisible, this piece reminds us of the fate of so many animals who live isolated lives, away from our eyes.
360 SHELTER DOG
Virtual Reality experience.
In this 2:30min video, visitor can immerse themselves into the life of a shelter dog. The dog is seen pacing, seeking comfort, waiting for someone to come to her gate, giving up, laying down on her blanket, and jumping up with a wagging tail as soon as a shelter worker comes to her gate.
This video was filmed using a 360 camera, which allows for a complete immersion. Made possible by Miami Dade Animal Services.
It was presented in 2017 and 2018 at The Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyn New York.
