Wander/Wonder

Abstract

Wander/Wonder explores the nature of speculation and our changing relationship with physicality through two separate but connected experiences: Wander, a walkable virtual street map of Baltimore City with all buildings removed except for psychic reader storefronts, and Wonder, a zero-gravity digital astral plane experienced as a virtual reality environment. While the interactor flies through the Wonder side via an Oculus Rift VR headset, the Wander side is projected on a screen for spectators to view. The interactor uses a custom crystal ball controller to navigate both environments simultaneously - one person guides the experiences of spectators in Wander while fully immersed in the VR environment of Wonder. Interacting with the environments challenges participants to consider their relationship to the future in an increasingly speculative age. Wander presents a world where the physical aspects of the city have faded, leaving only the speculation offered by psychics. Predictive algorithms use metadata such as browser activity, searches, and previous purchases to anticipate future actions by a user, much as psychics gather bits of data to divine the future through arcane or mysterious processes. Wonder offers the opportunity to surrender physical reality in exchange for an experience beyond reality, a sort of second Sight. This reimagining of the trope of the blind oracle represents a more hopeful interpretation of the transformative powers of technology.