Thresholds

Challenge

Back in 2017, a wraparound VR headset was still treated as an experience unto itself. Artist Mat Collishaw, however, perceived the multidimensional storytelling potential of the medium. Tapped to realize his vision, we would need to harness not just visual immersion, but tactility, placemaking and haptics, to reanimate a moment all but lost to history.

Solution

When artist Mat Collishaw approached us to bring to life one of the earliest exhibitions of photography by British scientist William Henry Fox Talbot in 1839, he had limited knowledge of what technology could achieve. After conducting discovery sprints and workshops, we developed a multi-user haptic experience that could be hosted at Somerset House.

Thresholds

The immersive portal allowed people to walk freely throughout a digitally reconstructed room and touch bespoke vitrines, fixtures and moldings. We even recreated the heat from a coal fire, providing a fully immersive experience of the past. The exhibition space at Somerset House attracted over 60,000 users and was featured by some of the world’s most-read publications.

Since then, the project has toured over 15 gallery and museum spaces around Europe, far surpassing its initial expected life cycle due to third-party demand.

Through a collaborative process that leveraged the latest technology, we were able to create an innovative and unforgettable experience that brought history to life.