Through the Wardrobe

In this augmented reality installation, a bedroom is the backdrop for an exploration of identity, gender and self-expression. In frank audio clips, four people from Bristol, England, friends of director Rob Eagle, talk about their search for their own identity and how it is expressed in their choice of clothing. The presence of their actual clothing combined with interactive animations adds an extra layer to the stories. The reduction of major social themes such as sexuality and gender roles to something as everyday as clothing choice offers insight into issues that the interviewees have previously struggled with in private.

In the bedroom, a personal interaction arises between your viewing behavior, the audio clips and the animations. A visit to the installation, which is only accessible to one person at a time, becomes an intimate experience, as if you were visiting a friend’s bedroom. You are free to look around. And perhaps the clothing you choose from the wardrobe will give you more to consider than you might initially think.