RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Exploring New Avenues of Virtual Reality as a Narrative Medium

Project Title: Exploring New Avenues of Virtual Reality as a Narrative Medium
PI: Desiree Foerster
Award Type: 2-Year IIRP-Based
Department: Cinema & Media Studies
Division/School: Arts & Humanities
Start Year: 2025
Description:

This project will explore the potential and limitations of Virtual Reality as a medium for storytelling in the form of a workshop in year one and symposium with a demo exhibition in year two. This project brings together an interdisciplinary team to tackle these questions, leveraging diverse expertise in the humanities, arts, and neuroscience to discuss questions such as: Can the introduction of non-linear or interactive formats in VR change how meaning is produced in storytelling? How does the immersive environment influence meaning and emotional resonance? What ethical challenges arise from embedding participants in stories where their presence directly impacts the narrative? We expect that this project will promote international and interdisciplinary collaboration, have a productive impact on the research and practice of the scholars and artists involved, attract a broad audience in Paris interested in VR and storytelling, and, in the form of scholarly publications, make the results of the project available to a professional audience.