Couloir 14

VR installation to embark the visitor in an archive of (imaginary) lost+found documents.

This project aims to create an installation that blurs the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. By utilizing GAN technology (Midjourney) on photos from my personal collection, I have generated dozens of images that simulate a lost and rediscovered archive of a research center deep in the heart of the late 1970s USSR.

Couloir 14, the installation, was first presented to the public at the digital art festival Matricule Bis, organized by the Alliance Française of Orléans in 2024.

Concept

This project leverages GAN technology (Midjourney, SDXL) to create images that depict ghostly figures and atypical buildings inspired by the city known as "Arzamas-16". The installation is both physical and virtual, where visitors sit in a chair facing a desk adorned with various documents and objects, including a CRT television. When visitors put on the VR headset, they are immersed in a space that mirrors the physical setup, with the physical and virtual tables aligning to enhance the immersive experience. The virtual environment elevates the physical installation, with the virtual television displaying a series of documents and generated photos projected on a giant screen in VR. This experience is further enriched by a spatialized soundscape and the images are grouped by themes such as Arzamas-16, Fantomy, Hazmat, Netzwerk and Radiograf.

• Artist's statement (French)
• Artist's statement (English) / NA

Technical details

• Hardware:

  • PC with 2 video outputs (HDMI and Display port) running Win64
  • HTC Vive VR headset
    • any SteamVR compliant headset with persistent calibration should work, see Pico 4
  • CRT 4:3 Color Television set with scart input
  • HDMI to Scart adapter
    • Check here

• Software:

  • HARFANG 3D
  • Lua

Installation setup

1. Physical Setup:

   • A chair facing a desk with various documents and objects.
   • A CRT television placed on the floor, next to the desk.

2. Virtual Setup:

   • Develop a virtual environment that mirrors the physical setup using HARFANG 3D and Lua.
   • Align virtual objects with physical ones for a seamless experience.

3. How to run it:

   • Download either the whole archive or the latest release
   • Unzip the file
   • Start SteamVR and make sure the VR headset is up and running
   • Run app/1-build.bat (will take a couple of minute, you only have to do this once)
   • run app/2-start.bat

4. Misc documents:

   • Notice (French)
   • Notice (English)

Themes and imagery

The generated images are categorized into several themes:

• Arzamas-16: Depictions of the secretive Soviet city.
• Fantomy: Ectoplasmic entities wandering endlessly, remnants of failed experiments.
• Hazmat: The tragic story of cosmonauts-turned-construction workers, trapped in an endless building project.
• Netzwerk: A network of decaying infrastructure, symbols of overengineered yet abandoned connectivity.
• Radiograf: Ghostly depictions of radiographic imprints and experimental technology.

Sound design

• Develop a (spatialized) soundscape to accompany the visuals.
• Ensure the sound enhances the thematic elements of the installation.

Concept

• Concept/code/3D layout : Astrofra
• 3D models of vintage objects :
  • IsolatedSoulStudio (slide projector, floppy disks)
  • nollieinward (vintage soviet-like furnitures)
  • weeray (vintage desk)
  • kotkozyrkov (crt tv)
  • Gamereadyassets (crt tv)
  • Shrednector (vintage computer)
• sounds :
  • PMBROWNE Slide projector sound
  • https://elevenlabs.io/ (french & english voice-over)
• images generated using MidJourney, SDXL EpicRealism over the course of 3 years (check: latentspacecadet and couloir14)