A form of serious gaming, Labyrinth Psychotica aims to stimulate the subjective experience of being in psychosis. Described by the artist as ‘a metaphor for losing and finding oneself, and for how beautiful yet terrifying the experience can be,’ Labyrinth allows us to experience, in a creative and engaged manner, how psychosis blends realities and perceptions. Labyrinth Psychotica is part of Group Therapy: Mental Distress in a Digital Age at UNSW Galleries.

Individual sessions:

The user is invited to wear a head mounted display, containing a single camera that enables them to see their surroundings, while their vision is simultaneously manipulated in real-time. The experience is interactive and multi-path, meaning actions need to be taken to initiate aspects of the film, and no two experiences are the same. The experience lasts about 12 minutes and includes several scenes and acts. Users are guided by a facilitator throughout.

Some drop-in sessions are available, however booking is recommended.

The presentation on 22 September is hosted by the Consul General of the Netherlands.

Labyrinth Psychotica is presented with the support of the Mondriaan Foundation.

Jennifer Kanary Nikolova

Jennifer Kanary Nikolova studied fashion design from 1994 to 1998 before graduating with a first version of roomforthoughts from the Fine Arts Department of the Maastricht Art Academy in 2000. She continued with a Tweede Fase programme (Masters) at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam in 2002 and  was invited to participate in the first experimental curating course initiated by the University of Amsterdam and the Sandberg Institute. Jennifer has curated and exhibited work in various art and science projects, such as Battle of the Universities, Kloone 4000 and Discovery 07. The artist was also involved in an artist-in- residence at the National Psychiatry Museum in Haarlem, Netherlands in 2007 to 2008.