NON-PLACE SIMULATOR
Compelled to document this space, Ratajczyk synthesized various kinds of field work—recording ambient sounds, manually modeling the environment using his own photographs and Google Maps, and filming people passing through, transforming them into flat, NPC-like figures. This synthesis created a synthetic, interactive post-documentary environment, blending real-world data with digital abstraction.
The piece was presented as an interactive experience where viewers took on the role of photographers. As they navigated the simulated space, they captured images of people or abstract compositions, which were instantly printed by a hidden machine, producing a tangible output from the digital scene.
This structure allowed for a form of observation, where the subjects were unaware of being photographed. The project raises ethical questions about documenting people without their consent, reflecting Ratajczyk’s reflections on the ethics of public observation and the blurry boundary between documentation and intrusion.
➼ video game / installation
unreal engine 4
2022
work exhibited in Curators’LAB