A place for us to grieve
Virtual Reality
A place for us to grieve” is an interactive, virtual reality world built for Black people to gather and collectively grieve. Ideated during a time of mounting trauma, surveillance, and physical isolation, the project explores what making a safe space for Black community healing online can look and feel like, how to support the full breadth of collective Black grieving in digital space, and translating generational material grieving practices into the digital realm.
Work in progress
A place for us to grieve (2020)
A place for us to grieve is an interactive, virtual reality world built for Black people to gather and collectively grieve. Ideated during a time of mounting trauma, surveillance, and physical isolation, the project explores what making a safe space for Black community healing online can look and feel like, how to support the full breadth of collective Black grieving in digital space, and translating generational material grieving practices into the digital realm.
This is an in progress project (currently paused indefinitely), begun during my time at Laboratory Residency (September - November 2020). Scroll below for an archive of my process as well as the (in progress) lore behind the world.
Project Archive
An ongoing visualization of research & conversations around the project.
A collection of open studios about the project, through Laboratory Residency.
Welcome to
Aeon
Image: Close up spaceview of Aeon (prototype v.I)
World History
In Earth year 2222, a rare prismatic crystal erupts in an alternate universe. The energetic force of the explosion ruptures the spacetime continuum, sending shards of the crystal into multiple timelines across the expanse of space. One shard in particular becomes suspended where the past, present, and future of all existing timelines converge. This shard, invisible to the material eye, vibrates at a frequency of 528Hz and a previously undiscovered frequency, dubbed the oe̯ri frequency. The oe̯ri frequency summons Black dreamworkers & healers from across all of the futures and all of the pasts. These beings honor the summon, and spend 1,111 years sharing ancestral knowledge and exchanging energy with the crystal, which reveals its name to be Aeon. By Earth year 3333, the combined energy of Aeon & the dreamers and healers became so powerful it began to birth new timelines where Black trauma and grief no longer exist. Enchanted by the discovery, the healers & dreamworkers channel the oe̯ri frequency to open a spacetime portal on Aeon, summoning all future and past ancestors of the Black Diaspora to come and collectively transmute their grief.
(Note: This story is in progress & will be edited/updated over the course of the project.)
Spaceview of Aeon hovering over the spacetime continuum (prototype v.I)
World Codex
Planet Mass: 1.07 x 10^21
Coordinates: Unknown
Composition: Blue Zoisite, Mineral Debris, Unknown Material
Surface Temperature: 14 °C
Surface Area: 4.44 x 10^5
Surface Gravity (meter pr. square second): 0.43
Points of Interest
Map of Aeon
Spacetime Portal: The only entry point to Aeon, opened in Earth year 3333 by the healers & dreamworkers summoned to Aeon.
Aeon Guide: Area where Aeon’s guide can be found. Their identity is unknown, but it is rumored that they are the personified energy of Aeon itself. The guide ensures safe entry to anyone who visits Aeon.
Aeonic Ruins: An abandoned southeastern region. Anomalies here are believed to be remnants of the crystal explosion Aeon was formed from.
Dream Lands: An open western region dedicated to rest. In year 2424 a cascading structure was built to help residents simulate deep breathing. Only region with plant life.
Crystal Courtyard: A gathering area central to Aeon.
Aeonic Library: Built in 2233, the Aeonic Library is dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of resources in the realm of health, wellness, dreaming and grief. The library is maintained simultaneously by past, present and future ancestors.
Aeon Memorial: A northwestern region dedicated to memorializing fallen ancestors across the expanse of time.
Blue Ridge: Coming soon.
Frozen Waters: Coming soon.
Oe̯ri Shrine: An altar space created by the original dreamworkers & healers summoned to Aeon in 2222. The Oe̯ri frequency can be best heard here.
Aeonic Code
More coming soon.