Imagine this: you have wings and take flight at night to hunt insects. During the day, you hang upside down in an attic. You ‘see’ the world with your ears by producing sounds and interpreting their echoes. The experience of a bat is radically different from your own.

In the immersive installation What is it like to be a Bat?, you’ll discover what it feels like to perceive the world as a bat. Philosophy, ecology, and technology merge to transport you beyond the boundaries of human perspective. Inspired by Thomas Nagel’s philosophical essay of the same name, this physical VR experience takes you on a journey into another state of consciousness.

Feel what it’s like to sleep upside down and explore the world in flight using echolocation. Surrender yourself to this intense, individual sensory experience and discover what it’s like to not be human, if only for a moment.

For What is it like to be a Bat?, I developed a VR application that immerses participants in a bat-inspired installation. Suspended in a custom suit, users can simulate flight, navigate, and ‘see’ by producing sound, exploring the environment through echolocation.

The VR system includes remote operator controls, allowing facilitators to manage user states, trigger transitions, and modulate the experience in real time.

Team

Direction, concept, text and music Dennis van Tilburg | Physical research Zoë Schollée | Virtual Reality Wieger Steenhuis | Dramaturgy Annemarie Wenzel | Design Geartsje van der Zee | Text and physical research Sieger Baljon | Production Judith Eilander | Artistic advice Adri Schokker | Bat ecology Liesbeth Cavé | Bat ecology & photography Rudmer Zwerver