Shannon Callaghan

Dust Covered Floorboards

A virtual reality experience reminiscing on the effects of the pandemic and how it has changed our views on travel, health, and business.

“My work has always centered around the human psyche and trying to understand the complexities of our own minds. I am interested in replicating the physical within the virtual; creating a stylized version of our own reality to comment on a variety of topics related to health. Using these 3D works I try to make sense of my own reality and the implications of decisions made by those above me. “Dust Covered Floorboards” is a reflection on the state of the world amidst the pandemic and its impact on our everyday lives. As we, as a collective, try to return to a sense of normalcy, this project reminiscences on my own travels before the pandemic and wonders how these experiences may have been altered in light of the precautions we’ve implemented. Due to my history in the sciences, I am keenly aware of the health implications our society is attempting to ignore as we rush to return to normal; those who are unable to treat life the same as before who must change to accommodate the masses who believe we can continue as normal. In addition to the implications of health, there are the many businesses and workers who are affected by the precautions implemented during the height of the pandemic. Many people and places exist in a Schrödinger’s cat situation as we cannot assume they’ve survived the shutdowns and restrictions with any certainty, they are both there but simultaneously not.This stylized piece created in Unity is set in a bistro and uses virtual reality to draw the viewer into the scene and want to explore. The animated texts incorporate my own musings on how life may or may not have changed since this trip almost three years past. Some of the views are now a bit outdated as the planning for the piece occurred during the height of restrictions in Canada, but the sentiments remain the same. While my own thoughts on the reaction of the populace to the pandemic is quite strong, this piece condenses my reaction and, while still present, tones it down to make it more palatable. While I do not touch specifically on the political aspect of this work, it becomes embedded with connotations of the pandemic and the societal reaction to those who are immunocompromised. This piece helps to vent the frustrations I have in regards to the pandemic in a non-destructive, cathartic manner, the final statements simmered down into the remnants of anger and released into this project in a hope that things will finally improve.As I currently work in a hospital, I am intimately familiar with the effects of this pandemic and its influence on the lives of so many. We need to strive as a society to bring an end to the cycle of relapses and find a way to live in peace with this virus, I hope this project may spark some vague inspiration to dig deeper and question the reasoning behind decisions made outside of our control.The single-channel version of this VR work is linked above, the password is "EXAN2022".”