Eva Quantica is an interactive virtual reality dance piece for the Oculus Quest created by Maf’j Alvarez about female identity in a lockdown bubble - a dreamlike, painterly open world to explore Eve and her multiple selves.

Commissioned by the National Gallery, London, as part of National Gallery X and Audience Labs at the Royal Opera House in March 2021 Supported by King’s College London Inspiration from Crivelli’s Gardens, by Paula Rego and using the motion capture data of Eve, choreographed by Kristen McNally.

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/national-gallery-x/the-rules-do-not-apply

In this surreal new reality, whether you’re small like a cat, big like a statue, whether it’s early morning or late evening, you’ll see things differently and you’ll only see what you want to see. The red lifeforce flows through everything, dead or alive, old and new. Eva Quantica is about female power, patriarchy, immigration, tradition and obligation. She explores technology as an agent of power for women and its consequences and wants to challenge the rules that always apply. She wants to tell women that they have a place in the making of a new technological future where they can encode their own reality.

INSTALLING EVA QUANTICA ON THE OCULUS QUEST

The VR experience has been tested with Oculus Quest 1 and 2. I suggest you use SideQuest to install the app onto your Oculus Quest using a link cable. This is a process known as sideloading. I like this method because you get to see all the other amazing content available to also experience on the Quest.

If you are a developer or prefer the command link you can use ADB for installing the app.

MOVING AROUND THE EXPERIENCE

Depending on which character your choose, you will move differently and see the world differently. Sitting in a swivel chair with headphones on will give you the optimal, safest experience. If you want a very intense experience, stand up or go into an open space and move around (get someone to go with you to make sure you don’t bump into things – do this at your own risk)

• Cat: moves quickly – intense experience
• Human: moves steadily – regular comfort.
• Statue: doesn’t move – maximum comfort.

You can control the movement of the player using the joysticks on the touch controllers. Left to move and right to rotate. Return to the boat to choose another point of view using the flat menu button on the left controller.

http://www.limbicfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/oculus-touch-controls-600x440.jpg

CREDITS

Eva Quantica is has been ideated, designed and technically produced by Maf’j Alvarez in Unity3d and Blender with rigging through Mixamo. Featuring music from Bunty and The Moulettes with additional sound design by Anna Bertmark at Attic Sounds.

Special thanks goes to Andy Baker and Paul Hayes for their technical support, training and patience with learning to be more logical and code better in C#. Thanks to Chris Chowen at The Fusebox for helping test out the mocap suit, and Laura Loonstein for her support and inspiration. I believe in sharing both assets and expertise so that licencing is not a barrier to learning or making – since there are already so many barriers to face. I try to use public domain and Creative Commons licenced assets as well as free and open source tools wherever possible and made a conscious choice to build for a VR hardware device that could be affordable (£300) and wireless so that more people and more organisations could afford to show this work in more diverse scenarios such as shopping centres, pubs, social centres, waiting rooms, schools as well as art galleries, museums, libraries, art and film festivals. If you would like to collaborate with me or want to show this work, please get in touch at mafj@rootinteractive.com

For full list of credits for music and assets please see website: http:www.limbicfish.net/eva-quantica