“Of All the Worlds” is a virtual reality experience based on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Users are transported to an alternate reality with radical differences between their reality and the alternate universe.
The installation consists of a mute black box of dimensions 3’ squared with a pair of VR goggles attached. When the gallery visitor puts on the VR goggles, they will be transported to another reality–a parallel universe.
The many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics suggests that there multiple alternate realities and there are a lot of them, maybe an infinite number. “Of All the Worlds” transports you to a parallel universe to question your idea of reality. What possibilities could alternate timelines hold? What makes our universe more real than others? Or the physical universe more real than a digital one?
Three Worlds #
The three alternate realities depicted in the VR experience have a layout similar to the museum which hosted the exhibit.
The Cross-Talk Cube #
The black cube is embedded in the ground in each of the three alternate realities as well as our own. This piece of alien technology is implied to allow “cross-talk” between different timelines, like the cross-talk that occurs between two parallel wires carrying digital signals.
Notes From the Exhibit #
It was rewarding to have gallery visitors look all around the vast space of their VR experience, then take off the goggles off and ask, “was I really inside that little cardboard sculpture?” People thought the video had been created entirely digitally rather than with cardboard and glue and the shift in scale was a head trip.
I was also really happy that people were able to draw the connection between the physical space of the Museum of Anthropology and the alternate realities in the goggles. The careful attention to scale and orientation, plus the anchoring force of the cross-talk cube paid off.
Photos by Curiosity Collider and Sarah Race.
Making Of #
Credits #
Of All the Worlds was installed at Curiosity Collider’s event, Quantum Futures and hosted by the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Curated by Char Hoyt.
UBC’s Emerging Media Lab and VRSQUARE were very kind to loan VR headsets for the event.
The cross-talk cube was designed and fabricated by Tim Rolls.
Special thanks to Wynne Palmer and Ben Z Cooper.