Ingrid Heidemann / Pollywog

Art grants visibility to people who are unseen. My work takes many forms to encompass constructs of empathy and understanding of queer experiences. I challenge common understandings of gender and normalcy. The concepts of art and queerness intersect; they are the processes by which people express change and mobility through social time and space. I find solace in queer environments that allow me to express myself to the full extent. Unmasking is like a breath of fresh air— I aim to encompass that feeling in my work. My artistic practices reveal vulnerabilities that challenge the audience to confront their own internalizations of conformity and normalcy. We are all at different stages of metamorphosis, and it is our natural instinct to keep growing.

Pollywog is an interactive experience that takes the player through the evolutionary stages of a tadpole. I wanted to focus my thesis on themes of growth and change that everyone can relate to. The gameplay format takes that a step further, allowing the player to experience first-hand what it is like to survive as a small creature in a challenging world. The interactions between the player and the environment are intended to reference developmental experiences that we have throughout our lives. To progress in the story, one must interact with other tadpoles that will follow them to the more dangerous level of the game. Strength in numbers is a key point that affects both the natural world and how we function as a society. Art is the meaning that we give to our creations. It is the guiding tool that allows me to navigate the world around me. I utilize a natural apparatus in interactive installations to encourage the audience to disappear into the world I have created and leave with a better understanding of the perspective it represents.

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skyviee.itch.io/pollywog

@skyviee