Scenario description
Within large European R&D projects a lot of the research is executed along pre-planned lines. However, exploration of the boundaries and possibilities of the research is also vital: this is the role of the art-scenario within SHARESPACE. Whereas the health and the sport scenario are top-down use-cases focused on the exploitation of SHARESPACE technology, the art scenario is a bottom-up use-case focused on experimentation and exploration.
The art scenario is coordinated by the Ars Electronica Futurelab in Linz, Austria. Located at the Ars Electronica Center in Linz is the Deep Space 8K. This specific space allows for immersive extended reality experiences due to high quality 16×9 meters stereoscopic 8K wall and floor projections. Artworks shown in Deep Space 8K can be made interactive by its laser tracking system pharus, which enables the system to determine the 2D position of objects on the floor. During the project, artworks utilizing SHARESPACE technology and concepts have been developed internally be Ars Electronica Futurelab researchers and by external artist teams recruited through two Open Calls for Artists. All artworks have been specifically developed for Deep Space 8K and presented at the Ars Electronica Festival 2024 and 2025.
Artistic Exploration
In total, three artworks have been developed internally by the artists, designers, and developers of the Ars Electronica Futurelab – *falcon heavy, Converge, and its extension and update Converge 2. The team at the lab, specialized in working on the interface of art and technology, both conceptualized and produced the work with the prototypical technology provided by the SHARESPACE consortium.
*falcon heavy
*falcon heavy is a shared multi-user experience for Deep Space 8K. It comprises a spatial dialog between live participants and an ever-shifting entity within a ritualistic virtual arena. This prototypical interactive real-time artwork sits between the cornerstones of chaos and order. Being in sync shifts audio-visual noise into recognizable patterns and structures. Synchronous signals can be found in a spatial collaborative effort as 4-5 people participate.
Converge
Converge is an interactive take on SHARESPACE principles, built in 3D for Deep Space 8k. It uses tracking for up to ten on-site participants and a motion capture suit for one off-site participant. All must collaborate to progress, communicating with the remote participant only via movement & body language. They must solve scenarios, guided only by subtle visual cues. The minimalistic style highlights movements and interactions, ending with participants herding crowds of AI characters.
Converge 2
Converge 2 is an interactive work that has been improved based on audience experience and the next steps within the SHARESPACE project. Up to four participants on site and one external person in a motion capture suit engage through voice, movement, and emerging tech. This new iteration aims to expand the concept with fresh interaction mechanics — introducing voice communication as a situational gameplay element. The goal is to create richer dynamics between verbal and physical collaboration without relying on constant moderation.
Open Call for Artists
To reach the full potential of artistic exploration, the SHARESPACE project hosted two Open Call for Artists. Through this Open Call the idea was to collaborate with artists team that are completely external to the SHARESPACE project. The aim was to develop multi-user, hybrid performances that explored embodied interaction between people and Virtual Humans, leveraging immersive XR technologies and SHARESPACE innovations in a bottom-up fashion. A key focus was the integration of remote participation, with performers, artists, or audience members represented as avatars within the digital environment. The finalized works were presented at the Ars Electronica Festivals 2024 & 2025.
State of Play: شهر بازی
State of Play: شهر بازی is the selected project of the SHARESPACE Open Call for Artists 2023. Created by Tara Habibzadeh, Harriet Davey, and Mati Bratkowski, this game-based participative art performance references the 7 Labors of Rostam from the Persian epic poem Shahnameh. Presented in Deep Space 8K at the Ars Electronica Festival 2024, the piece allows up to five participants to control avatars of Rostam using laser tracking, while the boss enemy is brought to life through a motion capture suit.
The piece is a deconstructed interpretation of seven labors of Rostam, the lonely warrior of Shahnameh (book of kings), the long epic poem written between 977-1010 CE by the Persian poet Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi. State of Play: شهر بازی deconstructs the conventions of the game industry, boss fights, Persian mythology and poetry, and new media.
In this participative performance, the audience is provided with a set of storylines that lead to an interactive journey. During which, the audience has ultimate control over the story’s further development through their interactions and narrative choices. A commentary game master will help the audience to interact with the piece and make decisions.
Foolish Flame
Foolish Flame is the selected project of the SHARESPACE International Open Call for Artists 2024. As part of this initiative, artists were invited to develop a multi-user, hybrid, interactive art performance for Deep Space 8K. Created by lead artists Peter Power, Leon Butler and team, Foolish Flame is a transdisciplinary piece that explores the fraught frontiers of climate change and our inherited cultural trauma. Through collective experience and real-time generative technology, visitors witness an evolving landscape of environmental narratives. Traversing between the liminal space of the bog and a realm beyond, Foolish Flame unfolds as a dynamic storytelling system, conjuring new digital rituals of connection, synchronicity, and ecological reflection.
