City of Apparition

When my home was destroyed, I was shocked beyond words. The once-safe haven I had always believed 'home' to be, since childhood, revealed its fragility, susceptible to any change. Standing on the balcony one day, I realized the entire city was an illusionary, fickle organism, in a constant state of floating. — Shu-Kai LIN

FuturePerfect has just completed the City of Apparition demo, a groundbreaking mixed reality experience. Building on a decade of research in immersive storytelling, this project combines visual art and installation with advanced game engines and interactive technologies.

Set to debut in 2027, the work is a powerful, artistic response to un-homing—a profound dislocation that occurs when individuals are torn from both their physical environments and the cultural and psychological foundations of their lives. It is a trauma that severs the bond between people and place. Far from a documentary, City of Apparition takes audiences on a fantastical and spiritual journey inspired by science fiction, history, speculative futures, and fantasy. The project merges experiential design, theatrical elements, and cutting-edge storytelling, seamlessly blending physical and digital worlds.

Equipped with AR headsets, audience members will navigate a hybrid physical-digital environment where the visual narrative unfolds across multiple realms: the fictive digital space, the actual physical venue, and a constructed artistic world complete with physical objects, lighting, and sound.

At certain moments, audiences will be completely enveloped by a VR environment that dominates their senses. Occasionally, they will engage with live physical environment that is devoid of technological enhancements. And at other times, audiences will navigate both the physical and digital simultaneously. We anticipate that this dynamic interplay among alternate realities will create compelling tension, strategically utilizing each modality to enrich the narrative and deepen thematic exploration.

Synopsis: Amid the chaos of urban upheaval and the devastating loss of his home, Mr. Yang-Tai (陽台先生), an office worker, begins to question the monotony of his daily routine and grapples with the haunting question: "Is this all there is to my life?" Seeking both answers and adventure, Yang-Tai escapes to a parallel universe where he undergoes a remarkable transformation into a fearless intergalactic traveler.

Venturing aboard a space capsule crafted of his own imagination, Yang-Tai embarks on a challenging journey—at times a dream voyage to the future, at times a science fiction odyssey, at times a quest to find home, and occasionally a mythical journey into the past.

Exploring the farthest corners of the universe and its enigmatic uncharted territories—from the celestial metropolis of Manjusaka (曼珠沙華) to the weathered industrial landscapes of Hua-Chin City (華慶之都), and the abandoned underwater multiverse of Vidunas (維度娜斯)—Yang-Tai's whirlwind odyssey forces him to confront the fundamental question: How do I return home when it no longer exists?

Prepare for a journey that will challenge everything you thought you knew!

City of Apparition is a collabortaion between FuturePerfect and visual artist Lin Shu-Kai and set to premiere in 2027.