An Oculus Rift art project that immerses users in a Dogme dining experience

"Doghouse is a chance to see the world from another perspective than the one you’re used to”, according to Johann Knattrup Jensen, on of three Danish artists, including Mads Damsbo and Dark Matters, who created a first person interactive installation that uses Oculus Rift technology to immerse participants into a virtual family dinner setting. "It’s also about understanding what reality you see as opposed to what reality the person across from you sees.”  

The 18-minute short film begins by seating five people at a dinner table. When the headsets are placed, they start to inhabit one of five characters in a family meal setting. The users only play the role of the observer, they have no control over the storyline. "The magic happens when the audience remove their goggles and step out of their character," explains Knattrup Jensen.

"They’re seated with a group, who before were strangers, but now, they’ve all experienced the same situation, they have formed a kind of bond, a kind of family relation.” Only after they've shared their thoughts on the experience, do they realise they've each lived through a different event.

As we have been observing with other artistic projects, virtual reality’s true potential might stand elsewhere than the gaming industry. It is in its ability to place us into someone else’s shoes, and to bring us out of our singularly focused perspective.

'The Doghouse' at Flatpack Film Festival, Birmingham, from 19-29 March