‘I always played games,’ says artist Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley. ‘Gaming was something that was always around me. But, to be honest, it felt magical – I had no idea how someone would get Wesley Snipes from Blade into the Blade game. To me, it made no sense. I didn't grow up with a technical background. And so when I started doing art, that was far away from my abilities.’
Brathwaite-Shirley has drawn on this passion for her first institutional solo exhibition at Studio Voltaire, London. Immersive gaming experience, ‘THE REBIRTHING ROOM’, utilises VR technology to pull the viewer into other worlds, exploring different environments in an imagining of the possibilities for Black Trans lives. Players are in control, at the helm of a system exposing their fears and insecurities.
When designing the game, she was keen for viewers to let go of their bodies, fully immersing themselves in a new, digital reality. ‘We're often having conversations, with people saying that the world is holding me back, there are certain limitations that I have that are present. But we'll also talk about some things that we’re doing, like, I'm not getting up early enough, I'm not working on these things, I could be doing extra here. And sometimes it's easier to focus on the larger things than things that you are completely in your control.’
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, ‘THE REBIRTHING ROOM’, 2024. Installation view, Studio Voltaire, London
Brathwaite-Shirley addresses this in the game, with players being asked to pick what they’re struggling with – are they scared of failure, or anxious? Or do they have a problem with addiction, or are they always talking themselves down? ‘I know they'll feel they don't want to say it out loud. And that's kind of what I'm banking on,’ she adds.
Rather than the traditional headset, the VR here is in the form of a sculpture that the wearer moves to light up the screens, eschewing the isolated world of the headpiece and forcing the wearer to confront their insecurities in a room full of people who could help them. ‘Something that I always had a dissonance with is that sometimes it feels hard to get into the cracks of your crowd. Because there's that gap between your activity that works up on stage, and the state that they're in when consuming work. For example, when I go to a movie theatre, I'm in a relaxed position, I can eat my popcorn, I can leave to go the toilet, it's very relaxed; even if the film is incredibly intense and has a very specific message, I'm receiving it in the most gentle way I possibly can. But I feel that when you have a work like this, which is very interactive, the environment is also very freaky, everything fits into one, it's a lot harder to just take the work in. You have to chip away at it yourself. And then it chips away at you hopefully, as well. So it's a joint chipping journey.’
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, ‘THE REBIRTHING ROOM’, 2024. Installation view, Studio Voltaire, London
‘THE REBIRTHING ROOM’ is at Studio Voltaire until 28 April 2024
Later this year, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley will have a major solo exhibition, commissioned by LAS Art Foundation, at Halle am Berghain, Berlin
-
Arthur Casas reimagines Villa Dubrovnik as a modern Adriatic retreatThe Brazilian architect brings poetic restraint and light to Croatia’s most elegant coastal hotel
-
14 of the best new books for music buffsFrom music-making tech to NME cover stars, portable turntables and the story behind industry legends – new books about the culture and craft of recorded sound
-
Margaret Howell marks 55 years in business by reissuing pieces from her archiveThe stalwart of British design will reissue a series of archival silk scarves to celebrate the landmark anniversary, alongside an era-traversing exhibition of foulards at the brand’s Wigmore Street store
-
Zofia Rydet's 20-year task of photographing every household in Poland goes on show in LondonZofia Rydet took 20,000 images over 20 years for the mammoth sociological project
-
Joy Gregory subverts beauty standards with her new exhibition at Whitechapel GalleryUnrealistic beauty standards hide ugly realities in 'Joy Gregory: Catching Flies with Honey '
-
Bengi Ünsal steers London's ICA into an excitingly eclectic directionAs director of London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, Bengi Ünsal is leading the cultural space into a more ambitious, eclectic and interdisciplinary space
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThe clocks have gone back in the UK and evenings are officially cloaked in darkness. Cue nights spent tucked away in London’s cosy corners – this week, the Wallpaper* team opted for a Latin-inspired listening bar, an underground arts space, and a brand new hotel in Shoreditch
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the capital this week
-
Viewers are cast as voyeurs in Tai Shani’s crimson-hued London exhibitionBritish artist Tai Shani creates mystical other worlds through sculpture, performance and film. Step inside at Gathering
-
Who are the nine standout artists that shaped Frieze London 2025?Amid the hectic Frieze London schedule, many artists were showcasing extraordinary work this year. Here are our favourites
-
Doc’n Roll Festival returns with a new season of underground music filmsNow in its twelfth year, the grassroots festival continues to platform subcultural stories and independent filmmakers outside the mainstream
