The Door in Question by Stargazed Arts Collective
You’re in an artists’ showroom in the middle of Prahran. You put VR goggles on, and suddenly you’re in a run-down, abandoned shack.
Virtual reality has proven to be a powerful tool in storytelling and film. But cross reality (XR), which combines VR, augmented reality and mixed reality with what’s actually happening in the real world, is having its moment in theatre.
Stargazed Arts Collective is using brand-new XR technology to present The Door in Question, an immersive art experience that hurls audiences into a vivid and confronting mental-health episode.
The simulation tells the story of “Mummy,” “Hottee” and “Little Boy”, with each audience member seeing different versions of the same narrative. It’s based on artist and creator Troy Rainbow’s real life experiences of growing up with a mother with schizophrenia, and he hopes the experience will challenge perceptions and taboos around mental illness.
The simulation demonstrates the close link between reality and imagination, and challenges audiences to question what they know to be true and false. An artificial intelligence tech known as the Delusion-Bot will also have you second-guessing what’s real and what’s digital.
Sessions are experienced in groups of four, with audience members entering and exiting the worlds at different times. Individual or group bookings are encouraged. Sessions run for approximately 50 minutes.
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