Media Artist and Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts
Screenshot from the game
The Night Journey
Videogame, 2005

The Night Journey is an experimental videogame ispired by the notion of a pilgrim's journey to enlightenment. The player navigates through a mysterious landscape as darkness slowly sets in and the end of the day approaches. Through moments of "reflecting" the player can slow down the spreading darkness and contemplate sequences of dreams and memories. These sequences are inspired by the work of American video artist Bill Viola and encorporate original excerpts from his videos. Trying to create a mechanic of "enlightenment," the game is designed with references to poets, such as the 13th century islamic poet Rumi, mysticism and Buddhism.

The Night Journey is a colaboration of the artist Bill Viola and the Game Innovation Lab of the University of Southern California. It was realized with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Art and Technology Network Zero One.