Patrick Pennefather

profile

Position:

Assistant Professor, UBC

Contact:


https://theatrefilm.ubc.ca/persons/patrick-pennefather/

Affiliations:

Biography

Colleague, co-instructor of Semester in Alternate Realities course, and col­lab­o­ra­tor on var­i­ous projects.

Projects

Awedyssey: VR for pro­mo­ting and enhancing well-being

We are investigating and creating a new virtual reality (VR) experience, 'Awedyssey', for the promotion and enhancement of well-being. Today, digital technology pervasively intersects with our daily lives, and VR stands out as a digital tool capable of fostering positive emotion like awe, self-transcendence, and authentic social connection. Connecting with nature is very important for our mental...


ETC - Embodied Telepresent Connection

Embodied Telepresent Connection (ETC): Exploring Virtual Social Touch Through Pseudohaptics ETC (Embodied Telepresent Connection) is an artistic VR project exploring ways of eliciting a feeling of embodied connection telepresently through pseudohaptics. This project emerged during the beginning of COVID-19-related lockdowns when our social interactions began to inhabit nearly exclusively virtual ...


Synedelica

Reality - Reimagined Synedelica reimagines what is possible with immersive technology, providing a new perspective on reality. In this synesthetic mixed reality experience, visuals of the real world are modulated by sound, attuning immersants to the beauty hidden in the seemingly mundane. Synedelica shows the world in a new light, rekindling childlike wonder and encouraging exploration. ...


SIRIUS - Virtual Earthgazing to mitigate effects of sensory isolation

SIRIUS (Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station) is a series of on-land isolation experiments modelling long-term spaceflight in order to assess the psychophysiological effects of isolation on a crew and prepare for long-duration spaceflights, such as a trip to Mars. An 8-month-long isolation study commenced in Moscow on Nov 4th, 2021, where a crew of 6 people (from Roscosm...


Body RemiXer

Extending Bodies to Stimulate Social Connection in an Immersive Installation Body RemiXer connects bodies through movement. It is an experiential projection based Virtual Reality installation that explores novel forms of embodied interaction between multiple participants where their bodies mix into a shared embodied representation producing a playful interaction that aims to support the feeling o...


Connecting through JeL – bio-responsive VR for interpersonal synchronization

Can a bio-responsive generative art installation foster interpersonal synchronization and connection? JeL is a bio-responsive, immersive, interactive, generative art installation designed to encourage physiological synchronization between the immersants. In this project, we will be exploring how novel forms of interaction can be included in immersive technology to foster the feeling of connection...


VR/MR/AR 4 Good: Creating with a Purpose

Interested in connecting & joining? If you're interested in connecting to others engaged or interested in the xR4Good field, you could join the xR4Good facebook group, or fill out this online signup sheet and state what you're interested in Introduction Over the past five years, we have seen awareness and creation of Virtual, Mixed, and Augmented Reality (VR/MR/AR or, the ‘immersive realit...


Connected through "AWE": creating immersive experiences for social connection

Do you get enough “awe” in your life? In our busy day-to-day lives, we often take our experiences for granted. While we have the technology to connect with one another, like smart phones, we don’t necessarily get outside with nature, or stargaze. Such activities may consist of common awe-inspiring moments, and we now understand that feeling awe is associated with all sorts of social and well...


Publications

Pennefather, P., Rizzotti, P., Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, K., Riecke, B., Danenkov, L., Ryzhov, V., Saroyan, J., Beltran, W., & Chak, R. (2020). A Fun Palace: A Mixed Reality Event Through the Looking Glass of Cybernetics. Cybernetics and Human Knowing, 27(2), 61–80.
Pennefather, P. P., & Desnoyers-Stewart, J. (2022). The Fun Palace: Designing Human Experiences at Mixed Reality Events to Increase Engagement. ISEA 2022, 1–5.
Sirius. (2021, October 1). [Curated & peer-reviewed Virtual Reality Exhibition]. V-Unframed, Vancouver, BC, Canada. https://www.alliancefrancaise.ca/v-unframed/the-artworks/sirius/
Riecke, Bernhard E., and Patrick Pennefather. 2019. “A Fun Palace: Cybernetics, Feed(Loops)Back and Mixed Reality.” Invited Keynote presented at the Acting Cybernetically: 2019 Conference of the American Society for Cybernetics, Vancouver, BC, Canada, June. http://asc-cybernetics.org/2019/.
Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, E. R., Liu, P., Kitson, A., Pennefather, P. P., Rhyzhov, V., & Riecke, B. E. (2023). Embodied Telepresent Connection (ETC): Exploring Virtual Social Touch Through Pseudohaptics. Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3585843
Miller, N., Stepanova, E. R., Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Adhikari, A., Kitson, A., Pennefather, P., Quesnel, D., Brauns, K., Friedl-Werner, A., Stahn, A., & Riecke, B. E. (2023). Awedyssey: Design Tensions in Eliciting Self-transcendent Emotions in Virtual Reality to Support Mental Well-being and Connection. Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, 189–211. https://doi.org/10.1145/3563657.3595998
Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, E. R., Riecke, B. E., & Pennefather, P. (2020). Body RemiXer: Extending Bodies to Stimulate Social Connection in an Immersive Installation. Leonardo, 53(4), 394–400. https://doi.org/10.1162/leon_a_01925
Desnoyers-Stewart, John, Ekaterina R Stepanova, Pinyao Liu, Alexandra Kitson, Patrick Parra Pennefather, Vladislav Rhyzhov, and Bernhard E Riecke. 2023. “Embodied Telepresent Connection (ETC): Exploring Virtual Social Touch Through Pseudohaptics.” Curated Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the Intangible Realities Lab Virtual Reality Exhibit, Santiago de Compostella, Spain, April 20. www.intangiblerealitieslab.org.
Desnoyers-Stewart, John, Noah Miller, Patrick Pennefather, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2023. “Synedelica.” Curated Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the Intangible Realities Lab Virtual Reality Exhibit, Santiago de Compostella, Spain, April 20. www.intangiblerealitieslab.org.
Desnoyers-Stewart, John, Noah Miller, Patrick Pennefather, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2022. “Synedelica.” Curated Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the V-Unframed, Center for Digital Media (CDM), Vancouver, BC, Canada, October 1. https://www.alliancefrancaise.ca/v-unframed/.
Desnoyers-Stewart, John, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Bernhard E. Riecke, and Patrick Pennefather. 2020. “Body RemiXer Virtualization for Recto VRso 2020.” Curated Virtual Reality Archival Work presented at the Recto VRso 2020, Online. rectovrso.laval-virtual.com/en/virtual-edition-2020/.
Desnoyers-Stewart, John, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Bernhard E. Riecke, and Patrick Pennefather. 2022. “Body RemiXer Virtualization for Recto VRso 2022.” Curated Virtual Reality Archival Work presented at the Recto VRso 2022, Laval, France, April 12. rectovrso.laval-virtual.com/en/virtual-edition-2020/.
Desnoyers-Stewart, John, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Bernhard E. Riecke, and Patrick Pennefather. 2021. “Body RemiXer Virtualization for Recto VRso 2021.” Curated Virtual Reality Archival Work presented at the FIAV - Festival International d’Art Vidéo de Casablanca, Laval, France, November 23. https://www.fiav.ma/assets/pdf/installations/6.pdf.
Miller, Noah, John Desnoyers-Stewart, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Ashu Adhikari, Alexandra J. Kitson, Denise T. Quesnel, Patrick Pennefather, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2021. “Sirius.” Curated & peer-reviewed Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the V-Unframed, Vancouver, BC, Canada, October 1. https://www.alliancefrancaise.ca/v-unframed/the-artworks/sirius/.
Desnoyers-Stewart, John, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Bernhard E. Riecke, and Patrick Pennefather. 2020. “Body RemiXer [Online].” Curated Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the Recto VRso Vancouver 2020, Vancouver, BC, Canada, October. https://www.alliancefrancaise.ca/rectovrso2020/.
Quesnel, Denise, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Ivan Aguilar, Alexandra Kitson, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2017. “AWE.” Invited Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the SPLASH, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Quesnel, Denise, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Ivan Aguilar, Alexandra Kitson, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2017. “AWE.” Invited Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the TEDxEastVan, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Quesnel, Denise, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Ivan Aguilar, Alexandra Kitson, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2017. “AWE.” Invited Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the TEDxSFU, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Rajwinder, Ricky, Robert Michels, Elene Wanner, Jonathan Lee, Patrick Pennefather, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2019. “Rising Waters.” Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the How to Stay Afloat: Tackling the Oceans & Climate Change, Burnaby BC, Canada, March 15. https://www.evensi.ca/climate-change-oceans-pecha-kucha-halpern-centre/297537642.
Aguilar, Alex, Oliver Aung, Leo Danenkov, Ricky Lalli, Jonathan Lee, Nick MacKay, Ana Karen Martinez, et al. 2019. “VR4Good Demos and Presentation.” VR4Good Virtual Reality exhibits and presentations presented at the Emerging Media BC Community of Practice Meeting, SFU Surrey, BC, Canada, April 12. https://emcop.ca/about/.
Rajwinder, Ricky, Robert Michels, Elene Wanner, Jonathan Lee, Patrick Pennefather, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2019. “Rising Waters.” Virtual Reality Exhibition presented at the FCAT Undergraduate Conference, Surrey City Hall, BC, Canada. https://www.sfu.ca/fcat/events/ugc.html.
Aguilar, Alex, Nick MacKay, Oliver Aung, Radu Orlandea, Qiuli Wu, Patrick Pennefather, and Bernhard E. Riecke. 2019. “The Pitch of Red.” Virtual Reality exhibit presented at the FCAT Undergraduate Conference, Surrey City Hall, BC, Canada. https://www.sfu.ca/fcat/events/ugc.html.
Miller, Noah, John Desnoyers-Stewart, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Ashu Adhikari, Bernhard E Riecke, Patrick P Pennefather, Alexandra Kitson, and Denise Quesnel. 2023. “Awedyssey.” Curated Mixed Reality Exhibition presented at the Cosmic Nights: Humans in Space, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, November 23. https://events.sfu.ca/event/37966-cosmic-nights-humans-in-space.
Riecke, B. E., Pennefather, P. P., & Quesnel, D. T. (2018). VR/MR/AR 4 Good: Creating with a Purpose. ACM Siggraph Birds of a Feather, 1. http://ispace.iat.sfu.ca/project/mr4good/