In Camouflage, VR is used to create a new social game that engages instinct and opens space for both playful and unsettling interpretations.

Camouflage is an immersive art project and experimental mixed reality game for multiple players, exploring the disparity of perception between physical and digital space. It draws inspiration from traditional games found across cultures, in which a blindfolded player searches for others, with roles shifting once a player is caught.

Within the VR experience, two participants are visually “blindfolded” by the headset, perceiving only abstract representations of their surroundings and moving bodies. Their task is to distinguish which of these abstract forms correspond to real people.

Outside the virtual environment, additional participants equipped with sensors move through the space, attempting to remain undetected—camouflaged. Their objective is to blend into the system by mimicking the movement qualities of the virtual animations and avoiding recognition for as long as possible. The experience is further shaped by evolving rules, a scoring system, and dynamic handicaps that influence gameplay over time.

The project highlights the emergence of tactics and strategies, where success depends on perception, empathy, and the ability to anticipate others’ behavior. Ultimately, Camouflage is a playful, multi-user installation that explores how VR reshapes our senses and reconnects us with instinct—inviting us to question how we inhabit the roles of predator and prey.

Digital artists: Mária Júdová & Andrej Boleslavský
Choreographer: Patricia Okenwa
Musician: Han Han
Creative producer: Renaud Wiser

Camouflage is a Renaud Wiser Dance Company commission funded by Arts Council England, South East Dance and The Chronus Arts Centre Shanghai. It is supported by the Brighton Digital Festival, the Lighthouse, Werks Central and Studio Wayne McGregor through the FreeSpace programme.