Mats Staub: 21 – Memories of growing up
Memories of growing up comprises dozens of interview portraits with people from around the world reflecting on their memories of turning 21.
I Want to Experience has teamed up with South Africa based creative producer Andrew Wessels of BoXcutter Studio to take an evolving audiovisual exhibition by the Swiss artist Mats Staub to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Traditional exhibition
Using an ordinary video camera, Mats asks people to recount the year they turned 21 and then records them listening to their own memories. These short videos provide insights into the first years of adulthood across continents, decades, races and backgrounds. An exhibition based on this work first premiered in 2012 and has since traveled around the World.
Waza Art Centre’s In Lubumbashi
Mats was struggling with the logistics of transporting and setting up a video exhibition in the Waza Art Centre in Lubumbashi, DRC and at the Congo Biennale in Kinshasa – major Congolese cities characterised by fragile infrastructure. The exhibition typically requires the provision of bulky and expensive AV equipment, including multiple video screens, bespoke furniture and multiple power sources.
Andrew came up with a novel solution to the problem — preloading the programme onto portable and relatively lightweight VR headsets. Working with I Want to Experience, the exhibition content was quickly repurposed for VR playback. This alternative to a physical exhibition is substantially easier to move to different locations around the world and provides a more intimate and engaging experience for the viewer.
I Want to Experience used their own in-house publishing platform to turn an existing video installation by Berlin-based digital artist Mats Staubs into an immersive VR experience that can now be shared easily with audiences around the world.
A project delivered for Pro Helvetia Johannesburg which supports and disseminates Swiss arts and culture in Southern Africa. We promote cultural exchange, develop and nurture long-term partnerships and support residencies.
Client : Andrew Wessels - BoXcutter Studio
Artist : Mats Staub
Virtual Reality Experience Created by : I Want To Experience