Through the metaphor of capturing and releasing stars, “Star Catcher” is an immersive interactive media artwork exploring themes of extraction and collective care. This piece invites audiences to reflect on the impact of joint actions on the ecology of a fictional world, emphasizing the consequences of resource exploitation in space. “Star Catcher” encourages collaborative engagement among the audience through collective movement and actions.
Star Catcher at ONX studio
Combining responsive projection, virtual reality, interactive lighting sculpture, generative soundscapes, and voiceover narration, “Star Catcher” creates an engaging journey where audiences become protagonists. The audience is led through an interactive narrative premise and taught to catch stars with interactive celestial nets.
Star Catcher underscores the urgent issues of our planet's dwindling resources, the risks of the space race, and the potential dystopian future from relentless resource extraction in the universe. This installation is accessible to adults, children, and individuals with disabilities.
The artwork resonates with Carl Sagan's iconic words about our interconnectedness: 'The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.' This theme invites audiences to consider the world they wish to shape, emphasizing collective stewardship of our planet and the universe.
Concept and Game Design: Adelle Lin
Technical Director / LED Technician: Matt Pinner
Sound design: Corey Bertelsen, Kevin Doucette
Animations: Andy Wallace
Art: Sal Chen
Voice Narrators: Amanda Mehl, Jarrett
Photos: Cindy Trinh
This project has been supported by Onassis ONX, NEW INC and PlayNYC. Thank you so much for making this possible!