Lucid Peninsula, a Physical Narrative Art Installation Comprising Interactive 360° Virtual Reality Components

Abstract

This article describes the design of the Lucid Peninsula, a Physical Narrative Art Installation, developed to engage a wide variety of audiences with a possible future, in which the practice of lucid dreaming plays an important role. In this article, the authors present and discuss the results from the in-the-wild evaluation of the audience reception of the artwork. Of particular concern is the assessment of the role of the virtual reality (VR) interfaces designed to deepen involvement and interaction with the art piece. This article reports on the conception and production of the installation as well as its evaluation and derived insights. The study provides evidence of the positive role of the 360° mobile VR assets in strengthening the narrative and the artist's intent in the Lucid Peninsula artistic installation. Results show how the VR interface supported engagement, positive affect, and reflections on the physical narrative scenario.