Abstract
Today, immersive technologies—like virtual reality—are celebrated as empathy machines, capable of fostering meaningful cross-cultural understanding. My project interrogates this assumption. I analyze two early 20th-century case studies of immersive rides, “A Trip to the Moon” (1901) and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1903). Through them, visitors embodied the ultimate imperialist fantasy: “discovering” a new frontier. And the impact of these rides was profound, garnering mass public support for American segregation at home and imperialism abroad. This project centers on the pressing need to reconnect immersive tech to its historical context to better understand both its possibilities and limits. I offer shared terminology and an anyalysis of contemporary media pieces to show the manifestations of these inherited legacies and ways to break the feedback loop. Through my historical and contemporary case studies and theoretical analysis, I offer a path forward towards a more equitable cultural production process.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Immersive technologies, Cultural production, Early amusements, Colonial legacies, Design justice
