Global South Award Winner 2020

Tupac Martir & Satore Studio - Cosmos Within Us

Cosmos Within Us is a daring story-telling experiment blurring the boundaries between VR and performance. Through a combination of state-of-the-art technology, immersive soundscapes, scent and touch, the piece explores the intricate connection between memory and the senses. The performance happens in real-time and is driven entirely by an interactor wearing a headset and driving the entire VR show. The piece explores the emotion of loss; be it losing childhood innocence, a loved one or memories, loss is a universal and inevitable feeling that everyone will experience at some point in their lives. The narrative surrounding this VR experience revolves around the main character Aiken, a 60-year-old man who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, whose mind the headset wearer (interactor) and audience are drawn inside. Throughout the story, the audience sees how Aiken struggles with his deteriorating mind, against time and against final loss of his past. Like many traditional film narratives, the interactor and audience go through a series of emotions. As he tries to remember his past memories, he re-lives meaningful family moments, on holiday and playing with his little sister, Lily — but this shifts as his fond childhood memories feel tainted and he re-lives a deep sense of tragedy that he wishes he could forget.