Designing for Virtual Reality. Oral history podcast featuring the pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists driving the resurgence of virtual & augmented reality. Learn about the patterns of immersive storytelling, experiential design, ethical frameworks, & the ultimate potential of XR.
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The 2026 edition of Venice Immersive marks their 10-year anniversary, and I interviewed the co-curators Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac about this year's selection that includes 30 projects in competition, 9 Best of selections, 3 Biennale College Cinema – Immersive projects, 26 VRChat worlds, as well as a special immersive event. Rosenthal and Reilhac talk about how the structures and forms of immersive storytelling have really matured, and how they're still really novel and compelling ways that artists are using XR and the affordances of immersive design to tell really compelling stories. Th
I gave a lecture about "Blending the Elements of Experiential Design" on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Seattle XR in Seattle, Washington. (PDF of Slides]. At the end, I run through some examples of the types of interdisciplinary fusion that I see within the context of immersive storytelling and immersive art. This lecture also digs into the process-relational philosophical foundations, as well as how I'm gaining additional inspiration from Empedocles, Aristotle, and the Classical Quadrivium (Four Arts) of Math, Music, Geometry, and Astronomy. For my 30+ hours of coverage of Venice Immersive, then
I interviewed Sister Sylvester about Constantinopoliad on Friday, September 12, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Constantinopoliad: "Constantinopoliad is a collective reading and audio work. A response to the archive of the poet Constantine Cavafy, the story is inspired by the blank and torn-out pages in Constantinopoliad, an Epic, the journal the teenage Cavafy began when he and his family fled Alexandria; by lost and missing queer archives through time; and by the ghosts, both erotic and historical, that visit the older Cavafy in his poems." Here are
I interviewed Craig Quintero & Phoebe Greenberg about Blur on Friday, August 29, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Blur: "Blur presents a new myth for the modern age, where science has changed how we think about life and death. With cloning and advances in resurrection biology, we have obscured the boundaries between the living and the dead — the natural and the artificial. This extended reality theatrical production unfolds as a dreamscape, shifting between real and virtual, taking participants on a journey of reflection on grief and eternality." Here a
I interviewed Mads Damsbo & Laurits Flensted-Jensen about Dark Rooms on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Dark Rooms: "Dark Rooms is an exploration of human psychology through the prism of sexuality. The viewer and two other participants are invited to explore four inner spaces, each one a private, intimate story told and co-created by real people. A unique, embodied experience, guiding the users step by step into the heart of human desire and the shadows it casts. Dark Rooms is a sensory, site-specific and immersive installation tha
I interviewed Négar Motevalymeidanshah & Gwenaelle Clauwaert about Less Than 5gr of Saffron on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Less Than 5gr of Saffron: "Golnaz is a young Iranian immigrant trying to adjust to her new life in Germany. One evening, returning from her job (as an assistant at a migrant reception centre in the Berlin suburbs), she is starving, and her refrigerator is empty. She decides to go to the nearest supermarket. The supermarket has just received a new product: saffron. Even though it is very expensive for her, s
I interviewed Kate Voet & Victor Maes about A Long Goodbye on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for A Long Goodbye: "A Long Goodbye tells the story of Ida, a 72-year-old pianist living with dementia. In this animated, interactive VR experience, we walk in Ida’s shoes. We experience a day in her life, as her reality is fading. The apartment, where she spent a lifetime with her beloved husband Daniel, first feels empty and undefined. When we interact with objects and play the tape recordings of her husband, her playful world gradually come
I interviewed Singing Chen about The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up on Monday, September 1, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up: "After the sudden death of his wife, Guan discovers her unfinished novel — a tale intertwining the endangered clouded leopard and the Rukai tribe’s sacred origin myth, which tells of their descent from the elusive animal. Grief-stricken and seeking connection, he sets out on a surreal journey into dreamlike scenes — a maze of the subconscious, mistshrouded forests, ancient tree hollows and
I interviewed Mike Salmon about the VRChat Worlds Gallery selection that was a part of the Venice Immersive 2025 on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. vent. What is Virtual Art – Volume 1 FLASHING WARNING Flat Earth Neuron Powdergame Fzmz Pointzero よるとうげ -Yorutouge- Ritual （v․1․3) The Reality of Hope Mirage Natura’s Queendom Uncanny Lounge the colony - flat 804 Scale Journey exhibition ⁄ back seeing 東雲風船 - SHINONOME BALLOON - CyberLove ｜ A7 サイバーラブ Experience Dracula’s Castle NeoWorlds Light Aquarium Break 15˸ Arcanum This is a listener-supported podcast through th
I interviewed Fanny Fortage & Harry Clunet-Farlow about Heartbeat – Son Cœur a Trouvé Sa Cadence Dans Le Silence Des Rencontres on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Heartbeat – Son Cœur a Trouvé Sa Cadence Dans Le Silence Des Rencontres -- "His heart found its rhythm in the silence of encounters.": "HeartBeat is an immersive self-performance that explores emotional relationships through the rhythm of the pulse. This installation offers a non- verbal encounter between two strangers, sharing their pulse. This discussion of pulse carri
I interviewed Pei-ying Lin about Happy Shadow on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Happy Shadow: "Joey believed that happiness was lost to her forever as she grew up. Her shadow, a constant companion, yearned to bring joy back into her life but felt helpless. Nothing changed until the player stumbled into Joey’s inner world through her diary while chasing butterflies. With Dusty, a whimsical dust elf, the player collaborates with Joey’s shadow, using their own shadow to solve puzzles. Together, the player helps Joey confront her deepes
I interviewed Hsin-hsuan Yeh about Sense of Nowhere on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Sense of Nowhere: "Where do we go when we zone out, and how do we find our way back to reality? Sense of Nowhere is a journey from no-where to now-here, inspired by The Way from Taoism, the Illusion from Buddhism, and Jung’s practice of Active Imagination. Blurring the line between inner world and outer reality, it transforms sonic, fragmented thoughts into a tangible experience. It is an invitation for the audience to explore the subconscious,
I interviewed Menghui Huang about The Big Cube on Monday, September 1, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for The Big Cube: "A world is made of cubes. The creatures there always follow instructions and push cubes numbly. Yet, when one of them chooses not to follow the instructions, after discovering another path, something unexpected happens." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Tensions between the Sense of Self [1] in the context of the Other [7], and specifically the Cultural pressures to conform [11] with the desire to express personal crea
I interviewed Jonathan Astruc about La Magie Opera on Friday, August 29, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for La Magie Opera: "The viewer is part of a group of extras at the Palais Garnier. At the foot of the grand staircase, he crosses paths with Céleste, a young opera singer about to flee the stage. Nervous and unsure, she confides her doubts and dreams to him — torn between the weight of tradition and the desire to find her own voice. Freshly arrived from the provinces, this rising star is about to make her debut in a leading role, but her confidence is
I interviewed Etienne Li about L'ombre (The Shadow) on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for L'ombre (The Shadow): "In Andersen’s tale The Shadow, a scientist brings his shadow to life. It becomes autonomous and manages to pass itself off as a human being in society. The shadow overtakes its master, returns to try to enslave him, and ultimately kills him when the latter tries to resist. The evident resonance with our contemporary world and its innovations — both troubling and fascinating — led choreographer Blanca Li to imagine this hyb
I interviewed Sarah Silverblatt-Buser about Collective Body on Friday, August 29, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Collective Body: "Collective Body is an interactive, virtual reality experience that invites us to meet ourselves and each other through movement. Set in the middle of a New Mexican storm, participants are guided to rediscover their first ways of engaging with the world, symbolising formative life events that culminate in a shared exploration of our embodied selves. These key moments — beginning alone, discovering the unfamiliar, first enco
I interviewed Kris Hofmann about Out of Nowhere on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Out of Nowhere: "Out of Nowhere gently explores how preserving alluvial forests, marshes and wetlands can help us face the challenges of an ever angrier, unpredictable climate. Told through the eyes of Anna, a lifelong resident of Hallein, a historic town at the foot of the Austrian Alps, the experience flows from first-hand experience of the devastating floods that hit Europe in 2021 to reveal how reconnecting with nature may be key to protecting ours
I interviewed Daniel Ernst about The Great Orator on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for The Great Orator: "Once a famous TV preacher, the Great Orator died at the height of her fame. Now, her consciousness lives on as an AI, allowing her influence to grow ceaselessly. Her followers can join her again in a shared consciousness, feeding her presence and creating a spiritual singularity. Always changing, shaped by the shared memories of her followers, and therefore unsure of who she truly is. The Great Orator is a nonlinear story world, wh
I interviewed Wuer about Mnemosyne on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Mnemosyne: "Mnemosyne is an innovative immersive work that blends VR film and live theatre, offering a multi- sensory experience and a poetic exploration of love, illusion, and awakening. Inspired by Tang Xianzu’s Ming Dynasty classic The Peony Pavilion, the piece draws on Eastern philosophy to evoke the notion of “ultimate 情 (Qing/emotion)”. It combines 360° animation, 180° live-action footage, and live performance, with the surrounding environment, shaping each a
I interviewed Kazuki Yuhara about First Virtual Suit on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for First Virtual Suit: "In the near future, as virtual reality becomes a part of everyday life, creating and using avatars becomes the norm. But what do we choose to project onto these digital selves? Are they idealised versions of who we wish to be — or reflections of our true selves, long hidden within? First Virtual Suit follows a young person who creates their first avatar, only to find themselves on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. As th
I interviewed Kristina Buožytė & Vitalijus Žukas about Creation of the World on Monday, September 1, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Creation of the World: "Creation of the Worlds is a VR experience inspired by the visionary art and music of Lithuania’s most renowned artist, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. This poetic VR odyssey is both a meditation on creation and a metaphor for the human journey toward inner maturity. Created by Kristina Buožytė and Vitalijus Žukas, the experience blends immersive storytelling with interactive elements, inviting v
I interviewed Jung Ah Suh & Cristina Rambaldi about Alien Perspective on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Alien Perspective: "Carlo Rambaldi was a visionary architect of the unimaginable. Through his groundbreaking work on E.T., Alien, and Dune, he expanded the boundaries of cinematic reality — conjuring lifeforms and worlds that defied perception and reshaped the imagination. As we mark 100 years since the birth of Carlo Rambaldi, Alien Perspective resurrects his legacy in a bold new form: a sensory portal into the unknown. At its he
I interviewed Elisabetta Rotolo & Siobhan McDonnell about Black Cats & Chequered Flags on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Black Cats & Chequered Flags: "Black Cats & Chequered Flags begins with a haunting Spatial Memory Fragment that immerses viewers in the emotional world of Alberto Ascari. Echoes of his father, legendary driver Antonio Ascari, blend with childhood flashes and the superstitions that shaped his fate. The experience then shifts into high gear with a multiplayer MR pit stop — a collaborative challenge that brings us
I interviewed Mo Huang & Eric Zhao about Mulan2125 on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Mulan2125: "In 2125, a century after the green-comet “Emerald Fall,” the alien substance Muk still taints Earth. Two powers remain: Ant City and PAC, a militarised regime ruling from the sea fortress, the Crown. Ant City’s flagship, the ARK — a retrofitted WWII battleship — carries a giant repair mecha meant to restore the city’s shield. PAC plans to hijack the ship, impersonate its crew, and deliver the mecha embedded with malware to disable the sh
I interviewed Leo Metcalf & Michael Golembewski about The Time Before on Friday, August 29, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for The Time Before: "Trapped between waking life and dreams, Olly delves into his childhood memories, navigating the fantastical dreamscapes his sister created to shield them from a fractured home. A journey into the buried past that shapes who we are. His story unfolds across two realms: raw, hand-drawn memories captured in childhood sketches, and surreal underwater live-action dreamscapes. As memory and imagination blur, The Time B
