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Virtual realities as playful, encompassing and somewhat ecological experiences offer unique opportunities for phenomenological inquiries into subjectivity. This paper is presenting 1) an observed, shared cycle of relationships between perceptive (inter)actions, affect and degrees of familiarity in the emergence of affordances while experiencing novel and hard-to-grasp objects and dynamics within a Virtual Reality. This description results from 2) a concrete experimental methodology to utilise the potential of interactive virtual realities as factual variations to investigate subjectivity and the phenomenology of aesthetic experiences in particular. Aesthetic experiences have been proposed (Noë) to observe the ‘strange’ (Gallagher) in the quest for phenomenological descriptions. This paper highlights virtual realities as fringe forms of these factual variations, which help illuminate experiential structures (Merleau-Ponty). As part of the analysis of my PhD project, the paper describes the emergence of affordances in an initially unknown VR environment. My experiment used a multimodal VR artwork, which features a very abstract and unexpectedly inter-actable world, devoid of apparent contexts, symbolisms or real- world references. While intended as an aesthetic experience by its creators, the artwork is rich and playful in its underlying governing laws, design and in its interaction dynamics. The resulting ‘strange’ experience made it possible to observe the changing relationship of how-it-mattered: The unknown world gradually becoming familiar as something through an action-centred being-with its objects. Different stages of affect become apparent, outlined as an ‘affective cycle of orientation’. Further the paper describes an observable spectrum in the quality of orienting actions and their respective intentions and stances. At one pole of this spectrum actions serve in a mediating and enabling function, the other end falls in a more classical definition of ‘affordances’ (Gibson). I will discuss this in relation to gestures and habits (Merleau- Ponty) and our self-enabling capacities for intentional actions by being enacted, embedded and embodied (4E-d) in an aesthetic experience.

Art has been proposed as an opportunity (Noë) to observe the ‘strange’ (Gallagher) in the quest for phenomenological descriptions. These fringe forms of factual variations help illuminate experiential structures (Merleau-Ponty). This paper is presenting 1) an observed, shared cycle of relationships between perceptive actions, affect and degrees of familiarity with a novel and hard-to- grasp Virtual Reality artwork. This description results from 2) a concrete experimental methodology to utilise the combination of factual variations and experiential artworks in a phenomenological project. As part of the analysis of my PhD project, this paper describes an experience of orientation that we subjected experiment participants to. The experiment used a multimodal VR artwork, which features a very abstract and unexpectedly inter- actable world, devoid of apparent contexts, symbolisms or real-world references. While intended as an aesthetic experience by its creators, the artwork is rich in its underlying governing laws of physics, visual- and auditory design and in its interaction dynamics. The resulting ‘strange’ experience made it possible to observe the changing relationship of how-it-mattered: The VR world appearing as the unknown initially and then gradually becoming familiar as something through an action-centred being-with its objects. Different stages of affect become apparent, outlined as an ‘affective cycle of orientation’. Further the paper describes an observable spectrum in the quality of orienting actions and their respective intentions and stances. At one pole of this spectrum actions serve in a mediating and enabling function, the other end falls in a more classical definition of ‘affordances’ (Gibson). I will discuss this with respect to gestures and habits (Merleau-Ponty). And the paper showcases the self as more than just re-acting, but having self-enabling capacities for intentional actions by being enacted, embedded and embodied in an aesthetic experience.

APORIA is a virtual world for VR (Oculus/Vive) and mixed reality that speculates on the sociological processes behind open and closed societies. The work took inspiration from 'Crowds and Power' by Elias Canetti. The behavioural dynamics elaborated in the book are reproduced by the 60 individuals in the VR experience. They inhabit the world of APORIA as human avatars, moving and acting according to artificial intelligence algorithms. APORIA’s residents can take decisions and actions on their own. Some of them behave in a close-minded way, preferring to build walls and following a strong order principle. The other half is more tolerant, moving freely and unrestrictedly. Every one of them follows his own daily routine, until a disturbing factor is randomly introduced: another human avatar unknown to the others, a stranger. The response by the residents of APORIA may differ. Groups are formed and dispersed. Leaders are appointed and released. The social dynamics coming into play become the central focus of the work.

When we put on VR glasses for an immersive experience, artificial intelligence (AI) is often not far away. AI is said to have immense abilities, so why not use it to create works of art? In this episode of "Virtuell Virtuos" we talk to Martin Pleiß about AI in VR art. Martin researches human perception and co-designed and programmed the VR art work "Aporia" by Patricia Detmering. Among other things, he explains the difference between algorithms and AI, and why AI can only ever be as intelligent as its creator.