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Invisible cities

Synopsis

Invisible cities is an immersive experience that allows the user to explore a city by following the steps of persons in exile, whether they are long-term economic migrants, political refugees on the run or asylum seekers stuck in limbo. Invisible Cities combines arts and technology to bring the audience to a deeper understanding of the city itself.

Treatment

Invisible cities aims to translate the very personal perception of an individual of a city into a communicable, multi-sensorial experience by using all the arrays of possibilities given by the users own smartphones, such as 2D/3D augmented reality real time animations, geolocation, audio capacities...

The choice of having migrants or displaced persons as primary characters for this experience comes from the fact that their unique situation allow them to see some aspects of a city that “ordinary” inhabitants cannot. Ultimately, these outside views are all an opportunity to question our own relation to the cities we live in.

AN ALTERNATE GEOGRAPHY

The most obvious aspect of these visions is geographical. Migrants do sleep and shop and gather in specific locations of the city. A great deal of invisible cities project is to bring the user to such places that would have been remained unknown to her/him otherwise. But this is only a fraction of the intention here, the rest is about their perception…

DESIRE: Migrants bring desire and expectations to the cities they aim to settle in. Forming mental pictures that fuel their journey across continents and seas. For example, the Milan or Rome they dreamt of before leaving their country of origin is certainly very different from the one they will discover once they get there. But for a short amount of time, this fantastical city will remain alive and coexist with the actual one they will discover. Forming a very personal bond.

FEAR: For undocumented people, the fear of being caught and sent back to their countries of origin turns some cityscapes into hostile architecture. Places of attraction become places to avoid and dark alleys usually avoided turns to ones of survival. These strange inversions of geography draw a map of a city that is obviously different from the one we are used to but they are no less real.

NOSTALGIA: Exile often means nostalgia. Seeing the newfound place through the memories of what’s left behind raises questions that reveal what’s odd or absurd in the way cities are built and how people are brought together.

EXTERIORITY: Being outside of the system, waiting to be integrated by it, some migrants may be able to see the machinery from the outside and thus become the best observers of the cities.

THE EXPERIENCE

Telling stories in locations

The user explores the city with the help of an interactive map showing the precise locations related to each character’s story.

Each location is either a place relevant to the character’s experience or conveys a mood that will enhance the experience of the episode told. Invisible Cities is an open experience where the user can complete it at his/her own pace and in any order because the stories are told using a non-linear method.

You may start the journey of Amal at the Roma Termini Stazione

and encounter Viktor next to a church in Toulouse...

Content

Augmented reality (AR)

The core experience is based on fragments of personal stories translated into short augmented reality 2D animations.

These are visually adjusted with the graphic symbols scattered in the physical environment. This helps create a seamless experience, just as if the physical symbol itself was expanding on the wall, telephone pole or bench where it has been placed. In the example above, the graphical style is stencil-like but each character’s story will have his/her own graphical style, to convey the uniqueness of his/her point of view.

At some point, the user will be allowed to literally see the city through the eyes of some characters thanks to a 360° virtual restitution of his perception. .

Location triggered Audio

In addition to the voices of the different characters that will tell their stories, a female narrator accompanies the user throughout their journey. Short bursts of her voice-over are heard when the user approaches the precise location of the story’s graphical location. These fragments of audio are automatically played when the user enters a certain zone. They give substance to the experience to come, whether they are biographical, about the person we are about to meet or even a historical/sociological aspect of the area of the city we are in.

Project Stage

This project was born and incubated for a year in the framework of the Pixii Co-creation, first European incubator dedicated to extended reality (XR) and pitched at La Rochelle XR festival Sunny Side of the docs where it raised a lot of interest.

We are now in the pre-production stage. We have collected stories (see some examples in the annex section) and we are ready to develop it in selected cities.

Invisible cities projects is designed to be an evolutive app with new cities and specific stories being implemented over the years.

Outreach and engagement strategy

Invisible Cities has the appeal and goal to speak to a broad audience, however, we have singled out two niche groups which we believe may be crucial to reach as they will serve as to introduce it to a wider audience. The two platforms are also a part of the strategy to create a broader appeal.

Teachers & Students at schools and universities:

Involve people and raise awareness.
Could be individuals.
Already in the community & supporting refugees/migrants
Facebook/Twitter/Tick Tock & Instagram communities

Museums & Visitors:

Interested in installations & site-specific formats.
Interested in interactivity & new technologies like AR.
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram communities.

The team have already sourced multiple individuals and organisations in Europe that could partner the project. In support of this community outreach, we will ensure that information on Invisible Cities is available on the project’s website. Having the website up before community outreach begins, we can be “Google-ready”; by virtue of being discoverable by the major search engines, the project will demonstrate its legitimacy and relevance.

Characters examples

HE/SHE was a draftee from Sudan.His sexual orientation and transgender identity led him to escape from his country where discrimination against LGBTQ+ is particularu harsh anf the low punishes with years of prison. No papers and no places to stay. The first impact on the city was dominated by suspicion and fear, but then he founded the “city of freedom” where he is able to express his fluid sexuality.

Amal/Khalid

Umut

He was a professor who supported the anti-government demonstrations at the Bogazici University. After receiving threats and being fired from his job, he decided to leave Turkey and cross the border and flee to Greece. He was caught by the authorities and sent to an asylum, but managed to escape. Umut is hiding out in Thessaloniki until he can make his way to Western Europe.

We will have this experience by visiting his hideouts in the city and activating this immersive experience, which will allow viewers to consciously feel the reasons for migration as a result of political oppression, such as a lack of basic civil and social rights; this will also aim to raise the question of why he is still hiding in the city.