Virtual reality is apparently not just about the vision, it’s always about using all possible help of the technology to trigger a similar (but altered) experience that is already stored in the human brain through all senses, including very subtle emotions. It’s a magic of bringing the memory to the present. It is not too hard to imagine that virtual reality or telepresence technologies be applied to a more emotional and psychic topic: to bring the deceased back.
We’re creating much more personal information than ever on the internet nowadays and what is going to happen to these data after we die? How much is it possible to restore partially or even a small piece of presence, that is visually, audibly or emotionally connected to ourselves?
One conceptual approach was “Cemetery 2.0” by Elliot Malkin. It works by keeping an active satellite Internet connection that keeps the gravestone in constant communication with the Web services.Visitors to the physical memorial can view related memorials on the device display, while visitors of any of the online memorials will recognize that their browsing is associated directly with the actual burial site. The Cemetery 2.0 device is connected to Hyman Victor’s GEDCOM file. The file includes The Kaddish (the Jewish prayer for the dead) to neutralize an inadvertent posthumous baptism.
Digital Remains is an art project by Michele Gauler, which is more closely connected to the topic of virtual presence. It assumes a world in which our data is stored on the network creating digital archives of generations of people. Personal access keys are used to remotely log on to the digital remains of a person and receive their data on our own digital devices. Based on data tags and meta data, search algorithms dig through a deceased person’s data, presenting us with content that is most likely relevant to us. For instance, a photograph from a holiday we spent with the person 10 years ago or the person’s favourite piece of music which they typically listened to while writing e-mails.
One interesting is the presentation of the concept: an over-head projection of hand and arm movements, which are in synch with the movements on the monitor screen. Placing one of the access keys on the table, starts the access key spinning and triggers the relevant scenario. The presentation itself is stunning however a little confusing too, it certainly conveys some emotional connection to the deceased friend.
There used to be demonstration videos online but I cannot find them anymore. An audio brief is still available on MOMA’s website.
A similar concept could also be seen in “Family Digital Shrine“. By using tea cups with trackable tags (as identity of viewer) it’s able to reveal different content for the views. It’s a great way of storytelling, and of encouraging storytelling, but it’s also a shortcoming in terms of usability. A youtube video is available online. I’m wondering how they collect their data and categorized them.
The most ambitious one might be the mission eternity. A person’s data is packed into a data package called ARCANUM CAPSULE, which is securely stored in a p2p network. Spec of the capsule content: pdf. The presentation mode is called BRIDGE, and they’re planning a mobile graveyard (called SARCOPHAGUS) which is a standard 20 foot cargo container equipped with an immersive LED screen of 17’000 pixels that cover the walls, ceiling and floor on which the visitors can walk.
I would like to finish with a purely emotional piece which has nothing to do with any specific human being however dramatically arouse my emotions, and it’s stunningly beautiful (and also bizarre too). Sometimes we feel more with eyes closed.
One last interesting fact: all above projects are from 2006.
cross posted: http://itp.nyu.edu/RepresentingEarth/?p=256
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