Home is an introspective virtual reality experience about exploring what it means to belong and finding a home away from the familiar.

*Project developed as a grad student at NYU’s ITP

As a migrant and a child of migrants, my life has been defined by distance and the search for belonging. I grew up in Peru, a country that suffered a deep economic, social, and political crisis during the 80s and 90s. When I was twelve, my father migrated to the United States, looking for better economic opportunities. Because of the distance, keeping in touch with him was very difficult. It was this distance that got me interested in the world beyond Peru. In the following years, I also migrated and became a photojournalist, a job that took me around the world. Constantly moving and disconnected from my family and where I was born, I struggled to answer the question, "Where is home for you?"

To explore this question, I used photogrammetry and digitally-generated environments to recreate a selection of my memories, which form the narrative foundation of this VR experience. Participants navigate through these environments while listening to voiceover narration. In each space, they can interact with personal objects that hold significance to my journey. The experience is designed to be seated, creating an intimate atmosphere, as if I'm sitting across from you, sharing these memories directly.

Credits

Direction & Development
Oscar Durand

Production Support
Elyse Blennerhassett

Music
Chris Zabriskie, Kayfex

Voice Actors
Mohamed Ihsan, Sharan Mohanadoss, Tatiana Trebisacci, Umar Farooq

Special Thanks
Ami Mehta, Akmyrat Tuyliyev, Brandon Roots, Casta Zhu, Eden Chinn, Eozin Che, Jonathan Turner, Jon Wasserman, Marilyn Nance, Robin Reid, Rosalie Yu, Sarah Rothberg, Sharon De La Cruz, Simone Simone Salvo, Tinrey Wang, Uttam Grandhi, Winslow Porter, Ziya Danishmend

3D Assets
Retro Television by Tom Seddon
Ceiling Lamp by mohamedhussien
Low Poly Sticky Notes by 6amsunset
Vintage Electric Desk Lamp by Oleksandr Tserkovniy
Earth Globe by matousekfoto
Airplane by qdoankz

Built with Unreal Engine 5. Photogrammetry models made with Reality Capture.