Curated Experience
Kyle and Father James
Through personal journals and a collection of artifacts, the curators of this exhibition tell one story on the surface. However, many other tales dwell beneath for those with an adventurous spirit that find where to look for them.
The displays hide secrets to interact with and other guides to follow who offer opposing narratives. The truth lies is what the guest decides as they interact with the space. Their actions will definitively alter the story, empowering them to be storytellers themselves—at least until the next visitor changes it again.
This is an immersive experience set in a curated art exhibit. Artwork, video, writings, and interactive displays will provide guests a hands-on opportunity to explore the story at their own pace and depth. Any visitor can walk through the space and appreciate the presentation, but players who dive in to touch the pieces and read for clues in the material can find hidden doors and stories.
The core motif explores the malleability of memory, and that some of the most powerful history changing power lies in the ability of an author to convince others of a truth. There is a series of events that are “true” on display in this exhibit. However, those events are heavily obscured by various unreliable narrators, namely the curator. Guests have the ability to choose one version of events to be what they believe, or to further alter history themselves. The piece blends mystery and adventure story elements that ask if seeing is believing and challenges viewers to remember what really matters.
The room itself has a central round-about hub with branching narrative spokes. One loop will show all of the story and return guests to the start where they can either exit or start again armed with new knowledge that re-contextualizes what they already experienced. Puzzles are hidden in plain sight with the clues to unlock them within the text, audio, and video provided. Placing objects in their correct places, speaking key phrases, and even playing music will open doors to new areas or exclusive additional storylines that follow the same clockwise direction in parallel with the main story. The primary method of interaction is through a self-guided tour device that contains hidden audio logs that can only be heard through exploration.
This work focuses on memory and truth in relation to zeitgeist and hearsay, which is always timely but especially prescient in these unprecedented times. A primary goal is to free viewers to see the world more magically, and to allow themselves to play in the moment.
The story focuses on the art and life of an artist who has disappeared mysteriously. While not appreciated while he was around, the rumors and speculation swirling around the disappearance has generated enough interest to capitalize on a gallery show of the artist’s work. The work is displayed as a biography with insight provided by a curator into the artist’s process and personal history and connections.
The artist himself has left more behind then is readily visible, and in fact seems to have foreseen this series of events enough to leave clues behind in his work. The information that can be gleamed here directly contradicts what has been laid out by the curator. Other people and entities have also given their own version of events that have left impressions behind on the space.
Immersive Curated Experience Deck
Explore an interactive gallery exhibit featuring the mysterious disappearance of artist James Gingold, blending storytelling, game design, and audience participation to uncover multiple storylines and hidden narratives. This presentation shares the success of the installation and presents the data collected from guest interaction.