Do you want to see the 3.5-inch floppy disk of Michael Joyce’s afternoon: a story? Twirl the blades of Deena Larsen’s pinwheel to read her interactive poem? The NEXT makes these experiences possible through interactive 3D models of these artifacts, accessible through your browser. Our 3D models are custom-made to reflect the current state of the artifacts they represent, from marks and scratches to creases and tears.
Don your VR headset and step into a unique way to experience physical artifacts collected by The NEXT. Jump into Virtual Reality where you can grab the folio of Stuart Moulthrop’s Victory Garden and pull out the CD-ROM, or toss the beach ball Richard Holeton used when performing Figurski at Findhorn on Acid, hearing it hit the “ground.” Every model and every sound was created from the original artifacts.
The NEXT revolutionizes the archival experience by bringing together an author, their work, and artifacts associated with the work in one Virtual Reality environment. See and hear Richard Holeton talking about his hypertext novel Figurski at Findhorn on Acid, read the novel, interact with the beach balls and Spam cans, and view media that accompany the work—all together in the Virtual Archival Storytelling Experience (VASTE) environment.
The NEXT shares its physical archives without the need for the public to travel long distances to access our materials. We accomplish this goal by re-creating our physical archives as carefully-crafted 3D modelled replicas of the original. We retain all marks of age and human-handling and work to evoke as many sensory modalities as possible, common to the artifact, so that the public can have a visceral experience with the artifact. The hard hat Rob Wittig wore when performing Invisible Seattle in the early 1980s, for example, shows scuff marks, and in the Virtual Reality environment, you can place the hat on your head and get a sense of what it is like to have worn it in performance.
Along with interacting with our physical artifacts via the Web browser, we want the public to be immersed with them in a Virtual Reality experience where the screen of a computing device does not create distance or the feeling of separation with the object. Our approach means you can hear the sound of CD-ROM jewel cases opening and snapping shut and hold a 3.5-inch floppy disk in your hand and inspect it by turning and rotating it. The Virtual Reality environment also makes it possible to pull in the born-digital works The NEXT collects along with video clips, images, and other contextualizing elements to enhance your understanding of the archives held in our growing collection.
We are happy to work with non-profits and artists to license the VASTE system or to consult about its use for projects relating to archives, art, digital humanities, and other creative pursuits. Please contact Dr. Dene Grigar for more information.
