The Editor: An Immersive Installation

By Bella Vasconcelos, Project Manager / Elena Kindy, Art Director / Agnes Forsberg, Creative Producer + Set Designer / Hoda Saiidi, Producer + Set Designer / Panu Pietiläinen, Lead Programmer / Dimi Kyryliuk, Lead Editor

Our goal was to create an immersive experience that takes users through a cautionary tale and inspires a
change in thinking. “The Editor” serves as a reminder of how impermanent language and culture are in the
face of globalization. Below is a mockup of the installation visuals.

Our idea materialized through intense ideation sessions. We built an ethereal structure of hanging sheets to encompass viewers in a feeling of comfort and serenity. We also developed three visual displays, utilizing a smart mirror and two projectors.

The exhibit was viewed one person at a time. Participants were brought inside the room where there was a single chair, set of wireless headphones and a mirror displaying text that questioned viewers about their identity. Each viewer was instructed to turn their head left or right.

If they turned to their left, viewers activated a series of VHS clips featuring children speaking different languages. If they turned to their right, they saw footage of a futuristic dystopian world, overtaken by technological influence.

As “The Editor” each visitor was responsible for choosing what aspects of their identity they wanted to keep from the past, in the present and going into the future.