Voices of VR #1682: Preview of IDFA DocLab’s 2025 Selection of “Perception Art” & Immersive Stories
Nov 13, 2025
Nina van Doren, a co-curator at IDFA DocLab, and Caspar Sonnen, its founder and lead curator, discuss the upcoming theme, 'Off the Internet,' which critiques online culture while showcasing immersive installations. They introduce the concept of 'Perception Art,' blending fiction and documentary elements. Notable works include a nostalgic web-walking game, an interactive hip-hop album experience, and a VR piece that animates scanned specimens. The conversation also highlights the importance of reclaiming personal digital spaces in an age of social media.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Theme Frames The Program
- DocLab frames its program around a theme to thread diverse interdisciplinary works together.
- This year's 'Off the Internet' theme highlights tensions between the internet's benefits and harms.
Perception Art As A Category
- 'Perception art' names works that play with audience perception rather than fit neat fiction/nonfiction labels.
- These pieces honestly acknowledge manipulation while still grounding experiences in reality.
Cardboard Box Theater Experiment
- Handle With Care is a cardboard box theatrical piece that starts when one person opens it and lets group dynamics drive the show.
- Caspar experienced wildly different audience outcomes across three prototype runs, showing its social sensitivity.