‘A Digital Life’ is a VR Interaction that communicates a physical image of the data behind all digital interventions in daily life. It’s a common understanding that digital interfaces are coded, however the power of lines of code is unknown. The more you indulge with digital interfaces, the more lines of code you implement. The interaction draws attention to the physicality of code and its power in controlling every digital interaction in your life.
World 1: Normality
A relatable scene from everyday life. Digitality has intruded its way into your life. Yet you’re so used to its intervention that you continue living as normal. World 1 represents everyday life. You are in an apartment, seemingly normal with common elements such as closets, linens, cupboards, a desk and screens.
World 2: Lights Out
You are surrounded by screens, but the moment you try to indulge with a digital interface, the world blacks out and all digital interfaces turn on. The level reveals all digital interventions in the smart home. What was completely normal and hidden in World 1, is now visible and highlighted
in world 2. Your ergonomic chair is digital, your temperature-modulating blanket is digital, your wardrobe organiser is digital. Your home is full of digital surfaces beyond screens. If you want to go back to masking the digitality, look at the door and you’ll be returned to World 1. If you want to know what ‘digital’ surfaces really are, further indulge with screens.
Smart homes. Digital interfaces. Following world 2, you have a conscious understanding of what digitality surrounds you. However, World 3 reveals the base infrastructure for these digital interventions in your smart home. It’s code. Lines and lines of code. Code dictates all digitality. Code makes digitality possible. World 3 pays homage to reveal the foundation for your digital life.
(Note: This VR experience was submitted as a part of Paula Strunden’s CMS 2021-22 Term 2 Course: The Psychotropic House at the AA.)
Aaryaa Kamdar 