Acqua Alta – Crossing the mirror, Adrien M & Claire B

Acqua Alta – Crossing the mirror
Adrien M & Claire B

Looking through a tablet or a smartphone, the ten double-pages of the book become the stage for a short dance performance - thanks to a custom-made augmented reality application. In a simple graphic stroke in black and white, ink drawings and white folded paper come together to reveal the virtual life of miniature beings ensconced in an imaginary world imbued with the imagination of water. This experience is at the crossroads of theatre, dance, comic book, animated film and “artsy” video game. 

Acqua Alta tells the story of a woman, a man, a house. A daily routine, absurd and filled with discrepancies. But one wet rainy day, their life is turned upside down: the rising waters drown their home in an ink-coloured sea. The woman slips and disappears. Only her hair remains, and it is alive. It tells the tale of a disaster, unique and universal. It tells of losing and searching. It tells of the fear of the bizarre and otherness, and how to tame it. 

Created by Adrien M & Claire B, Acqua Alta came into being in January 2019. The project unfolds three-ways: this pop-up book in augmented reality; a visual theatre performance that blends movement and living digital images; an immersive experience in a virtual reality headset. 

The book was subject to a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. We thank most warmly all contributors who made the first edition of this book possible.

The tablets allow you to discover the augmented reality hidden in the drawings:  

– look at a double-page spread with your screen;

– allow the virtual universe to unfurl in superposition with the real world.