“Body/Memory” is an interactive VR narrative that delves into the experience of breast cancer and the transformative nature of illness. Framed as an intimate personal diary, the project explores the loss of identity and the internal fragmentation that occurs when a life-changing diagnosis strikes. The story follows Amanda, a woman in her late 20s, as she navigates the emotional landscape of her condition, moving from a sense of disconnection and fear to a renewed understanding of her own freedom.
The narrative is driven by a unique character dynamic where the VR user initially inhabits the “younger,” healthy version of Amanda to interact with her “ailing” counterpart. This duality is central to the project’s arc, as the healthy Amanda represents a past self that is “full of life” but feels increasingly distant from the patient’s current reality. Throughout the journey, Amanda also encounters an “Elder” version of herself in a surreal, magical garden—a figure of warmth and wisdom who encourages her to embrace both “beauty and terror” as she moves toward healing and reconciliation.
The story trajectory begins in a Berlin setting, where an “ill” Amanda feels she is “losing her life purpose”, before shifting to a vibrant New Year’s celebration in Hong Kong, years before. This celebration is abruptly shattered by a medical diagnosis delivered via a phone call, which causes the world to literally envelop her in a dark, glowing lump. This transition leads into a period of struggle characterized by the isolating routine of chemotherapy and the “vertigo” of being lost in a kaleidoscopic shifting geometry. Eventually, the narrative moves to a protective “bubble” in London that morphs into a magical garden, allowing Amanda to interact with vivid fragments of her memory to reshape her reality.
Structurally, the experience leverages a 6DOF environment (digital environments with full freedom of movements) with a visual style inspired by illustrator Carlo Stanga, utilizing black ink outlines and fluid color washes that shift from cold to warm tones to mirror Amanda’s emotional state. The perspective evolves as the user eventually transitions from being a witness to fully embodying the “ailing” Amanda, symbolizing a complete integration of her past and present experiences. The arc concludes with a return to Berlin, now transformed into a hybrid world where realistic cityscapes and magical elements coexist, representing her newfound strength to embrace a wonderful, albeit forever changed, life.
