What would it take to really connect to a 3D hologram in a virtual space? Would you feel seen if the hologram makes eye contact, reacts to your movements, anticipates your touch?
At the intersection of technology and the performing arts, the doubleA foundation embarked on an R&D project aimed at redefining audience interaction in virtual spaces. We sought to develop tools that allow audience members to become protagonists—or even subjects—within an artwork. Driven by artist-led visions and tailored for the performing arts, our work explored new avenues for dramatic expression and personalized experiences, pushing the boundaries of traditional presentation formats.
To tackle these ambitious goals, we assembled a team of national and international partners and freelancers. Operating in agile sprints, we navigated the technological labyrinth, continually testing our developments with audiences. The project culminated in three distinct VR experiences, each serving as a standalone interactive script, led by the creative visions of Michel van der Aa. These showcases served as live labs, helping us continually refine our questions about what creators can achieve with emerging technologies and how to integrate them seamlessly into artistic workflows.
As technology marches forward, our project remains fluid, evolving to include new objectives, technologies, and partnerships. Our journey of discovery is documented and distilled into summaries for each showcase, all available on this website. We invite you to explore, as we continue to unravel the untapped potential of interactive volumetric video and its ability to bring complex artistic visions to life.
Touched by a Hologram? was financed by Innovatielabs.
Team members
Producer: doubleA foundation
Artistic director: Michel van der Aa
Creative producer: Cassandra de Klerck
Director of Photography: Joost Rietdijk
Dramaturg: Madelon Kooijman
Lead developer: Ruud op den Kelder
Developers: Wijnand van Tol, Glenn Wustlich, Souhayl Ouchene, Richard de Paauw
Technical developer: Quint Vrolijk
Lead Volumetric volumetric video: Dajo Brinkman
3D artists: Ryan Cherewaty, Jasper Hesseling
Unreal developer: Jair Lemmens
Audio engineer: Tomas Valečka
Motion capture studio: Het Nieuwe Kader, Niels Bosch,
Financial director: Rosita Wouda
Performers: David Eeles, Viola Blache, Cappella Amsterdam (Lette Vos, Ludmilla Schwartzwalder, Laura Lopes,Tobias Peralta)
Technical partners: Scatter, Arcturus, Reallusion