An Interactive Experience
Create an unsettling liminal space for one to explore and navigate. A space that feels both familiar and uncanny, where nostalgia and unease exist in equal measure. I wanted to make 2-3 rooms, and you can find some of my inspiration to the right.
I wanted to access memory. Liminal spaces are actually places of transition. Technically, no, a bedroom isn't a direct place of transition. Yet, a childhood bedroom can be a place of transition from childhood to adulthood. I wanted to make a statement on memory that connected to me, and I wanted to tell a story.
In these 2-3 spaces, you are guided by Ironbot, your old friend from childhood. Maybe you remember him, maybe you don't. But he remembers you. I recorded voice lines for Ironbot and added effects to make them sound "robot-y," creating a companion that feels both familiar and slightly otherworldly.
I designed everything in Blender, crafting each space with careful attention to lighting, atmosphere, and the subtle details that make a space feel uncanny. The 3D modeling process allowed me to control every aspect of the environments, from the textures on the walls to the positioning of objects that trigger memories.
For the project requirements, I had to host it on the web using NewArtCity. Blender's lighting did not in fact port over to NewArtCity the way I wanted. But, that's okay. I still wanted to tell a story, and so I tried to do that. The technical limitations became part of the creative challenge, that being adapting my vision to work within the constraints of web-based 3D spaces while maintaining the emotional core of the experience.
Creating Liminal was a deeply personal exploration of memory, nostalgia, and the spaces where we transition from one stage of life to another. This project taught me about the power of atmosphere and environmental storytelling. It taught me how a carefully crafted space can evoke powerful emotions without explicit narrative. Working within the technical constraints of NewArtCity challenged me to adapt my vision while staying true to the emotional core of the experience. Liminal represents my attempt to capture that unique feeling of looking back at your childhood, that bittersweet sensation of nostalgia for a time and place you can never truly return to. Through Ironbot and these liminal spaces, I wanted to create something that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the weight of growing up and leaving innocence behind.