Minimum Mass (2023)BFI Expanded presents Shifting Perspectives, a free exhibition of six works by female and non-binary creators working in immersive technology, taking place at BFI Southbank from 6 to 12 February. Spotlighting works from all over the world, this exhibition celebrates the female and non-binary artists who are pushing the boundaries of both storytelling and the immersive tech sector as a whole, aiming to challenge the preconception that emerging technology is often perceived as a predominantly male domain. Shifting Perspectives is part of BFI Expanded, the BFI’s year-round programme strand dedicated to immersive art and extended realities (XR).
Presenting six works spanning different mediums including interactive virtual reality, immersive audio experience, screen-based installations and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), this exhibition highlights a rich selection of works from creators who are working at the forefront of emerging technologies.
The projects presented use technology in powerful ways to raise important social and cultural issues, such as Bambou Kenneth’s Kindred, an interactive virtual reality experience that highlights the unique challenges faced by non-binary parents in the UK’s adoption process, and Minimum Mass by Raqi Syed and Areito Echevarria, which tells the story of a couple who experience a series of miscarriages and come to believe their children are being born in another dimension.
Two deeply personal works from BAFTA-award winning director Victoria Mapplebeck – Testing Times and The Waiting Room – provide an intimate look at a family experience of the recent global pandemic and shine a light on Mapplebeck’s own experience of cancer from diagnosis to recovery, immersing users in a 360° reconstruction of her last session of radiotherapy.
Otherly is series of seven short documentaries by women, non-binary and genderqueer creators presenting stories on a variety of themes from family relationships to exploring LGBTQIA+ identities, and Head in the Clouds by London-based Icelandic artist Kristjana S. Williams highlights three NFT collections generated from Williams’ core artworks, layering imagery of exotic botanicals and vibrant animals to build fantastical, dream-like worlds.
Shifting Perspectives is co-curated by Ulrich Schrauth, the BFI’s Immersive Art and XR Curator with Liz Rosenthal (Venice Immersive) and Asha Easton (Immerse UK), and is presented in partnership with Women in Immersive Tech (WiIT).
