Object Memory Access
march - may 2023
Online virtual reconstruction of the Object Memory exhibition at Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre
About
Object Memory was the first exhibition after the opening of Phoenix’s extensive refurbishment in January 2023. It consisted of 5 separate pieces, all by local Leicestershire-based artists. I was tasked with capturing and recreating the exhibition in virtual space, using photogrammetry and 3D scanning. The other goals of the project were to use it as a form of digital archive, as well as a way to present access materials for each work.Just before the exhibition was to be taken down, I scanned the entire space using the iPhone 12 Pro Lidar scanner and the Polycam app. I also scanned each individual piece of work using photogrammetry, again using Polycam. I used Unity to overlay the higher detailed photo scans on top of the larger, less detailed 3D scan to replicate the space, adding in immersive elements such as video players and dynamic lighting.
I also added access materials, such as audio descriptions recorded by the Arts Manager, Irina Tsokova, and sign language interpretation videos. These were all integrated into the system and would play automatically as the user navigates through the space. To make it as accessible as possible, I simplified the navigation to 6 points to travel between, as well as an optional walkthrough mode that requires no user input and simply plays through all the content, moving between exhibits automatically.