ABOUT THE VR EXPERIENCE

Cardboard Paradise is a VR world that explores concepts of artificial scarcity and status through a virtual town built using real-world cardboard artifacts. The cardboard citizens in Cardboard Paradise, heavily influenced by billboards and slogans, dream of one day getting upgraded to Gold World. 

The world is sprinkled with artifacts that add to the lore as you wander - advertisements, characters, and buildings that offer a playful critique of this speculative future. The world is hosted on VRChat, and it supports multiplayer interaction and dialog. Wander through the neighborhood or grab cardboard panels to craft your own structures.

The Development of Cardboard Paradise

The Material

I chose cardboard, because it represents a material that is seen as cheap and low status, but it can also be used to create interesting art.

Looking at artificial value in digital worlds - there’s no real reason that a virtual gold world would be any different than a virtual cardboard world, outside of this idea around status.

Building the World

Having scanned 3D models of cardboard sculpture from previous projects, I brought them into VR one day, and appreciated the natural look of being around real-world objects in VR. Goldie, Karen and I then started designing a map and world to create Cardboard Paradise. We created more cardboard objects that we scanned in with either photography (for 2D transparent PNGs) or Polycam (for 3D objects).

This world is primarily a spot to explore and spend time with people, but I added a few ways to build your own forts and sculptures in the world. This includes grabbing leaves off of trees, dipping them in plants to color them, and then placing them anywhere in 3D space. There's also a giant wheel that you can spin for an (impossible) chance to get upgraded to gold world.

CREDITS

Lauren Schroeder: VR developer

Goldie Nourian: Narrative lead

Karen Tsang: 3D Art & Scanning, Fantastic Arcade Set Design

Jillian Nicole McCann: Fantastic Arcade Set Design

Cardboard Paradise joined the ‘real world’ at Fantastic Arcade 2024 at MOHA at the Baker Center.