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One of my favorite experiences is traveling alone by car at night. I love the prevailing emptiness, the perceived slowing down of the world, relative to a very active and dynamic day. The contemplative, dreamlike aura of such journeys promotes crossing the boundaries of reality and unreality. I am fascinated by the uniqueness of such an experience, the uniqueness of the world at 3 am.

A constant element of such journeys is gas stations. Illuminating the night sky with a glow of light, they are like an oasis in a desert of darkness. Open around the clock, they become a vehicle for change as day turns to night. Gas stations are a starting point for a wider range of topics. In my project, I talk about their role as a portal between two worlds, the dreamlike atmosphere that prevails at night, and my own perception and how it is curved.

The work is a virtual reality experience in VR form. The viewer is transported to a created space in which they, as the driver, can work freely. The action takes place at night. The environment is a section of the city, an expressway, and an open space built on the plan of a Sierpinski triangle. The narrative is built with a smooth transition from a relatively ordinary environment to a completely unreal one. It follows the process of entering states of dreaminess, inspired by how the narrative is carried out in The Cinnamon Shops.

The experience is implemented in an installation that includes a car wreck, an interface in the form of a steering wheel and pedals connected to a computer, and a VR set. The physical car is a real object and allows us to maintain the form of a safe capsule in which we find ourselves during night travel by car. It takes the form of a wreck with damage that visibly prevents driving in the real world. It emphasizes the crossing of the boundary between reality and unreality. To participate in the experience, the viewer gets into the driver’s seat. The vehicle’s original steering wheel and pedals are replaced by electronic counterparts connected to a computer, by which the user controls the virtual car in the VR.

Kuba Krokosz was born in 2001 in Krakow, where he lives and works. As a visual artist, he works primarily with digital art, especially 3D animation, virtual spaces, and installations. His works were at exhibitions and festivals in Vienna, Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, and Poznan. He has collaborated with artists in Poland and abroad.

I am interested in the world in its modern, digital version, in which I seek a place of escape for the individual. I try to find new things in old things and, using virtuality, bring us elements and objects from “the better world.” The spaces I create are places where I invite the viewer to discover their path. I choose what is important to me, not to others. I don’t change the world, but I want to change its perception.