In-Between-Worlds: Considering a transformational space in which identity becomes negotiable

By Nicholas Konings

This project visually explores the idea of identity as a fictional narrative in relation to notions of telepresence, virtual reality and psychoanalysis. It aims to destabilise existing preconceptions of identity and narrative, and encourage self-reflection.

The research investigates the potential for collaborative reconstruction of a participant's self-image, observed from the point of view of an 'other', to engage self-reflection and communicate the idea of identity as a fictional narrative. The hypothesis is that dialogic co-construction of a user's avatar between that user and an interactive system can test this. Projection technology will be employed to reflect distorting, ego-disruptive mirror-images within simulated digital environments.