https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/107454 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:42:39 GMT 2026-04-04T03:42:39Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112789 Title: Immersive realities : an investigation in what makes virtual realities immersive for the users Abstract: This dissertation aims to answer two main questions: What is Immersion? and What is needed to achieve Immersion? This research will answer these questions from a digital game perspective, particularly a virtual reality one. The study follows a grounded theory methodology approach and will gather three main types of data; literature-based data, experimental-based data and project testing data based on Human-Computer Interaction. The literature-based research is divided into three main parts. It will first start by understanding the existing theories of Immersion, particularly Brown’s and Cairn’s theory (2004) and the Flow theory (Pasch et al., 2009). Along with these, in this section, the study evaluates Immersion when compared with Addiction, Space and Presence. It will then continue to investigate how different types of realism intertwines with Immersion. More specifically, it will look into Social realism, Realism in Action/Movement and Realism in Aesthetics. Finally, the research will end the literature-based data by concluding how different mechanics engage and hook the users. With this research and various experiments, a prototype of a virtual reality casual fishing game is developed and tested to generate more data which is used to improve the project and finalize a definition that explains what is meant by Immersion in this scenario. Finally, in the discussion of findings, it will also look into how critical certain elements are to induce immersion. These elements include a narrative/context and realism in general. In the end, it will also create a detailed comparison between the definition generated in this research and the existing theories that are noted in the contextual review. Description: MFA (Melit.) Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112789 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112788 Title: Surveillance in liquid modernity : merging the physical and the virtual space to reflect on surveillance Abstract: This research aims to use virtual reality techniques to merge the physical space with the virtual space to generate awareness on surveillance. The outcome of this research is an interactive installation titled ‘Meta-Gallery’, which uses virtual reality as its primary medium. It is suggested that before reading the text, the reader familiarises themselves with an overview of the installation, which can be found here (https://r4k.club/portfolio/meta-gallery/, 3-min video and photos). Nowadays, surveillance technologies can be found in many aspects of one’s personal life but not necessarily made aware of. This research aims to examine and visualise these technologies in Meta-Gallery and increase awareness within the participant about the notion of surveillance. The research is practice-based because its outcome is a physical artwork, and the primary research method used is evaluation, as introduced by Linda Candy (2013). The research method follows a trajectory initiated from theoretical research and then formed into a practice, documented throughout to evaluate each step, found in the methodology chapter. In order to gain participant feedback on Meta-Gallery, a physical exhibition named ‘exhibit-realm’ was held for a week in which the installation was made available to the public. Feedback was collected through recordings or written comments (Appendix B and Appendix C). It was part of the evaluation process to assess whether ‘Meta-Gallery’ was successful in its purpose. Ultimately, the feedback resulted in several participants feeling surveilled and wanting to escape the virtual. Participants communicated their feedback concerning surveillance encounters in their daily lives, demonstrating that Meta-Gallery successfully increased their awareness of the notion of surveillance. Description: MFA (Melit.) Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112788 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112786 Title: Content creation in the age of social media information overload : an awareness-raising campaign about violence against women Abstract: Violence against women is considered to be a global issue that may manifest itself in different forms, such as physical, sexual, or mental harm. It is a serious problem that has been impacting in a drastic and horrible manner the lives of around one-third of the women’s population around the globe (WHO, 2018). As a result, this study is intended to question and explore ways to develop a digital art project to attempt to increase awareness about violence against women. This research project revolves around two important features in the area of social media advertising and successful content creation: emotional and persuasive communication and the ambiguous transmission of a message. The primary objective of this project is not solely to enhance understanding and awareness of gender-based crime, but also to create a digital piece that effectively communicates visual information and evokes specific emotions through powerful audio-visual stimuli. The study uses practice-based research as its primary research method; the final outcome is a derivation of all the background research, idea generation processes, tests, critical investigations, and reflective thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of the trials. As a result, a social media video was developed with the aim to raise awareness about the topic in discussion, focusing mainly on narrating a story through strong emotions and also a sense of ambiguity. This was purposefully done to allow the viewers to interpretate the visuals and sculpt their own narrative. Moreover, direct eye-contact is a crucial element of communication heavily featured in the final product. Description: MFA (Melit.) Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112786 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112785 Title: (Re-)collecting memories : walking as an exploration of place Abstract: This research project investigates how walking as an artistic practice might facilitate the recollection of place memories. The study revolves around exploring a chosen area in Malta known as Swatar - one that holds fond memories. This practice-based research draws on walking as the primary methodology; walking entails being present, promoting direct engagement with the landscape and the environment and, in turn, informs the direction of my unplanned wandering. One step after the other, the place can be fully explored via embodied, sensorial engagement. However, it was established that walking was not enough to facilitate place memory; which is why this study includes a secondary methodology - collecting. I collect objects and materials, and document the place through photographs, videos, sound recordings, sketching, and note-taking. Through all of this, I aim to map out the place. Data was collected throughout repeated walks performed over a year and a half, resulting in a deep understanding of the place under review. I then used the data to represent my subjective memories of the place by creating a digital take on the 'wunderkammer', the cabinet of curiosities, in the spirit of Mark Dion and André Malraux. The 'wunderkammer' showcases a series of collages that juxtapose the collected data representing three chosen sites within the place to shed light on how phenomenological experiences can be documented and presented to preserve memories of place. Ultimately, the findings show that walking, collecting, and mapping can be used to subjectively preserve a place, and that an online 'wunderkammer' enhances recollection of place memory. Description: MFA (Melit.) Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/112785 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z