The journey into Osmose, an interactive VR environment installation made in 1995, begins with an individual stepping into a harness: a contraption of straps, body sensors, and a headset. From there, they are plunged into a Cartesian grid, dropped down into the depths of twelve graphic worlds in turn. The first-person navigation is driven by balance and breaths, inhalations and exhalations ensuring that travel is slow and measured. As a layer of consciousness is eroded, participants float between realms, slipping into a trance-like state. Space and time become warped, unravelling uncanny translucent forms.
Words by Katherine Fieldgate
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Figure 1. Char Davies, Tree Pond, from Osmose, 1995.
Digital frame captured in real-time through head-mounted display during live performance. †
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