In its city debut, an immersive spectacle in a studio will introduce the basics of responsible technology using digitally enabled activities
A visitor watches a projected artwork come alive at a previous edition of the event
You retain more of what you see than what you simply read about; and even more of what you experience first-hand, stated American educator Edgar Dale in 1946. It’s what we widely recognise as the Cone of Experience today. In times saturated with discussions, essays, and books on the perils of Artificial Intelligence (AI), data mining and cybersecurity, it might be the right time to look back at the humble cone. Immerse, a studio for impactful immersive experiences at Storiculture is joining forces with the city’s Famous Studios this weekend to offer an immersive first-hand experience of responsible technology titled She Moves Tech @ House of Play, a convergence of responsible technology and gender.
Murthovic and Thiruda (extreme left) at a previous performance
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For Sonia Parekh, head of Impact and Immersive Experiences, Storiculture, the idea germinated from her observations of how digital responsibility is talked about in the world today. “Most of the educational discourse around trolling, deepfakes and identity theft is often plain boring, or even worse, reactionary and panic-inducing,” she shares over a phone call amidst setting the venue up. She adds, “We wanted to create something that engages the participants, entertains them, but also leaves them with essential learnings about being safer on the Internet at the end of the day.”
An installation of retro devices
To that end, the experience unfolds like an interactive play, beginning with the familiar practice of exchanging your real identity for a username and acquiring introductory data coins. All transactions inside the venue including game booths, bars, and shops are facilitated by this fictional physical currency. While the idea of exchanging imaginary currency for experiences sounds fun, there’s more to it than meets the eye. “Spending data coins acts as a subtle reminder of the risks behind our untamed escapades on the internet, often fuelled by blindly agreeing to conditions and disclosures. Nothing is ever truly free of cost. Your data, in all probability, is someone else’s currency,” Parekh reveals.
The studio displays a retro-futuristic vibe with pop-up installations
At the centre of the experience are arcade games that await the users inside the main studio; each focusing on an aspect of responsible technology. While ‘Spot the deepfake’ puts your eye for authenticity to the test through a series of images, ‘What’s in the box?’ teaches you about the complexities of placing your trust in voices online. A data labelling game titled Captcha, and the story behind it, are the clear standouts for us. Parekh reveals that during her research leading up to the event, the team learned about the existence of a group of tribal women in Jharkhand who have been working in labelling the data behind the infamous Captcha filters that we all use. “We were amazed by how tribal knowledge converged with tech for such a group to exist. The arena will be peppered with similar notes of women doing great things in the field of technology” Parekh shares.
Anant Roongta and Sonia Parekh
To accommodate such experiences, the studio itself has taken on a new avatar that is familiar, yet unusual at the same time. The 77-year-old studio has undergone a retro-futuristic revamp, with retro Bollywood posters and motifs lining the walls alongside futuristic props. “While the tech installations set the tone for the experience, the Bollywood elements were added as a hat tip to the studio’s legacy,” Parekh shares. Anant Roongta, managing director, Famous Studios, is all for the studio turning into an immersive playground. “With our decades of experience, it’s time to embrace new forms of events. In fact, we plan to launch The Warehouse at Famous, a new IP that provides a tech-enabled space for events like this soon,” he reveals.
Among these new forms is a 1970s-themed 360-degree audio-visual concert experience by artiste duo Murthovic and Thiruda that will come alive towards the end of the night. The dance party, which Parekh calls the after-afterparty, will feature a blend of electronic music with hints of ancient Indian music supported by surreal visuals depicting the role of women in tech in the future.
As Parekh prepares to get back to setting up the event, she informs us that the night also includes a bar pop-up, VR installations, a makeover booth and a midnight bazaar waiting to be explored at the venue. In all fairness, that might just be more experiences than one can possibly retain.
ON April 13; 6 pm onwards
AT Famous Studios, Dr E Moses Road, Gandhi Nagar, Mahalaxmi.
LOG ON TO @immerse.impact
ENTRY Rs 1,970
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