The role of the participant
The participant of the Icare installation is invited to explore immersion within a virtual environment. The gestural activity of the participant is the operating engine of this installation. A helmet of simulation and raincoat form the link between the world of Icare and the participant. The links with the application installed in several computers enable the participant to first, see the world and second, to be able to move in the interior of this world. In this space the participant becomes the author of his/her own choreography which can be observed by other participants. Virtuality in this case measures the distance between reality and the event. The concept of scene is reconstructed inside perception of the participant. The idiosyncratic nature of this exploration reveals a shift of perception linked to the identity of the participant.
The ICARE universe
The contents of this universe is structured around the exploration of the environment in which the presence of objects is static. Simple observation requires normal displacement on behalf of the participant. This first stage consists of an exploration of normal movement patterns in natural space. In the mid-section, a series of icons become accessible while flying. Initially it is necessary to rise up, in the air, then to stabilize while gliding in the mid-section among the icons. The participant discovers a new feeling, that of the flight, specific to this phase of exploration. The distribution of the icons is dynamic and thus their approach can be determined by the behavior of the participant. The freedom of weightlessness is experienced in the area of the dream. This area also contains a video screen visible only in front of the viewer, which retransmits the images from the external world. The screen, illustrates the relationship between Icarus' world and the external world. The image represented on the screen, which may belong to the participant, enables him to take a step back in the viewing process. The sun is in the highest part of this world. It's a ball of fire which breaks up when encountered. When the interior of the ball of fire is reached, there is a crackling sound which indicates rather quickly that the participant will lose the capacity to fly. All of these circumstances gives to the participant the feeling that he/she is living in this environment.