Metamorphotica

The multilinear, interactive XR art installation Metamorphotica transports its participants, using head-mounted displays, haptic gloves, and brainwave headsets, in a cocoon, half asleep, through the infinity of galactic nebulae to a small satellite near the Tannhäuser Gate. Metamorphotica is based on the physical transformation processes we know from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and describes the longing for transformation, but also the processes of dissolution of body and identity. The cytoplasm of the cocoon contained a transcranial fluid that altered the genetic code of the actors, transforming them into chimeras—hybrid beings consisting partly of creatures from this alien environment and partly of their original selves. As animal-humans, they must use their new sensory perceptions to find a way through this unknown world in order to survive. They dive, fly, eat, dig, glide, and crawl as they search for their new selves. Sensory perceptions such as echolocation, electro-sense, telekinesis, tentacle eyes, and vibration sense form a new perception of their environment. Hidden in this environment are pieces of amber that have stored the stories of previous chimeras. As dehumanized beings, they encounter themselves in this foreign skin in a vulnerable state of internal and external transformation. Metamorphotica is an artistic research project and experiment conducted by Tobias Bieseke as part of his doctoral studies at the KHM under the supervision of Georg Trogemann on the topic of reality hybrids or “sense-making in XR.” The experiment offers an extraordinary sensory experience that focuses on body transformation, perception modification, and skill enhancement in augmented reality. A single run lasts 10 to 20 minutes on average, while the entire multilinear experience takes about 1 hours. The installation is currently available in German; an English version is in development. Neural EEG feedback enables mental interactions with mixed reality environments, schools of fish, and virtual objects. In addition, participants receive acoustic audio feedback on their thoughts, allowing them to modulate their mental power themselves. The ambient sound can promote wave-like states of euphoria. With the Sense Glove gloves, the transformation becomes a multimodal experience: the interactions can be experienced haptically and the vibrations guide users through the darkness so that they can find an invisible path. The scenario requires a space of approximately 5 × 5 square meters.