The Woodsorrel Garden Gallery sits in the centre of the formal garden on Woodsorrel, my Animal Crossing island. I use this space to host exhibitions of installation art that are open to the public at set times and via Dream address
The exhibitions have been documented. Find footage of them via http://www.patchworkfez.co.uk/woodsorrel-garden-gallery-past-exhibitions/
23 May 2020 – 14 June 2020: ‘Good Night’
Six pieces of installation art exploring the feelings of nighttime. All pieces by Sarah Cole.
4 July 2020 – 26 July 2020: ‘O Joy’
Six pieces of installation art exploring the theme of ‘joy’. Pieces by Becklespinax, Rachael Cole, Sarah Cole, and Siobhan Fitzgerald-Gibson.
Creating exhibitions within Animal Crossing has been an interesting design challenge; compared to the game’s exterior spaces, the interior ones allow for far more limited interactions and physical space while simultaneously providing a more customisable environment and camera angle flexibility. I have endeavoured to create experiences that are by turns meaningful, silly, individual, and collaborative. They are, despite the limitations of the platform, always somewhat interactive and encourage players to bring their own feelings into the spaces.
Creating these experiences at the height of a global pandemic has lent them additional weight and nuance as people were unable to visit real-world gallery spaces and have sought solace and familiarity in digital events. My exhibitions have been well-received and reviewed here and here.
I am intending to produce a full writeup of my experience of designing these exhibitions once the third (and likely final) exhibition is complete.
Design notes from the third (upcoming) exhibition themed around play:
