SCREENED AT
Still Here is an immersive, multimedia installation exploring incarceration, erasure and gentrification through the lens of a fictional character named Jasmine Smith who returns to Harlem, NYC after 15 years in prison. Interactive VR and AR technologies are used to bring to life this heartfelt story about the reclaiming of space and identity in a changing black community.
Crafted in collaboration with formerly incarcerated women, the experience comprises of three parts – Interactive virtual reality (VR), audio with augmented reality (AR) and a photo exhibit (Six Women and Prison Map).
Interactive VR
The viewer rides along with Jasmine as she lives her first day as a “free person.” In VR, we explore the grandmother's home Jasmine grew up in. Through 360° videos and audio snippets we get access to her past memories and possible future as she navigates her life post-incarceration.
Audio and AR
While the interactive VR experience is set inside Jasmine’s home, the audio and AR story takes place in her Harlem neighborhood. In the three chapters of the audio story we hear Jasmine’s interactions with her uncle, a coffee shop owner and a homeless person. The AR filters associated with each chapter act as a window into Jasmine’s mind as she reacquaints herself with her changed neighborhood.
Photo Exhibit
The photo exhibit showcases some of the journalism behind this project and the lives of a few women whose stories became the foundation of
Still Here
.
Go to ajcontrast.com/still-here to learn more about the VR and AR components of Still Here .
The stories included in the interactive VR and audio AR part of Still Here were crafted in collaboration with formerly incarcerated women, who are part of Women’s Prison Association (WPA) in NYC.
LinkNYC Campaign
We collaborated with LinkNYC to promote Still Here during Black History Month. The campaign appeared on more than 3,000 digital screens across New York City.
