Paxville — LI YI-HO Portfolio

Essential Handwear for Consciousness Migration
Paxville
The Insider
A Glimpse of the Mind Landscapes

PAXVILLE

In eternal peace, we’re promised endless joy, no more pain, no more suffering, and no more chaos on Earth. If it’s really paradise, why does it feel like we have to give up something important... even our souls?

Type: Granted Project, Multi-disciplinary Arts: Pilot Project Grant, National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF)
Role: Artist / Experience Designer / Installation Designer
VR Specs: Meta Quest 3 / 6-DoF / Single User / 15 minutes
Production Duration: 12 months

Become a consciousness immigrant

In the year 3000, Earth faces a threat from an alien civilisation. A brilliant inventor, determined to save humanity, travels back to the present day when virtual reality technology is advancing rapidly. He selected a smart developer from 2025 named "Webbie", to develop "Paxville", a platform designed to preserve human civilization by allowing people to upload their consciousness. The goal is for humanity to upload their minds to this safe virtual space, avoiding the hardships of the future. Those who use this platform are called "consciousness immigrants". They relinquish their physical bodies, gaining freedom and immortality in the virtual dimension.

However, beneath this seemingly perfect situation, there are hidden risks. What challenges will the consciousness immigrants face? What are the true intentions of the inventor and Webbie? As the viewer takes part in this immersive experience, they will explore the concept of VR as a means of freeing the body, and reflect on the different interpretations of "freedom" in this new world.

VR Headset as a “Mine Machine”

At the beginning, it was a speculative design, where the VR headset serves as a medium for transferring consciousness. Once the viewer wears it, their consciousness enters another world. We created two characters with opposing views on saving human civilisation, prompting the viewer to perceive.

MR Effect: The Secrect of the Paxville
Webbie is arguing with the inventor. In fact, Webbie doesn’t agree with Paxville’s philosophy at all, believing it to be a lie. He thinks collective intelligence is a scam and has nothing to do with confronting humanity’s future fate. However, the inventor believes that only by uniting everyone’s consciousness and abandoning the physical body can they prevent the tragedy of the future.

MR Effect: The Termination of the Tour
The inventor called Webbie when the tour was at the Athena’s house, so he left the viewer behind there. He looked nervous because his argument with the inventor was accidentally exposed. The story is told from a meta-perspective, encouraging the viewer to remove the VR headset on their own.

PAXVILLE

Artist: CURIOSKI (Li Yi-Ho, Cheng Yi-Ting)
Producer: CURIOSKI (Li Yi-Ho, Cheng Yi-Ting)
Concept Designer: Cheng Yi-Ting
Narrative Designer: Li Yi-Ho
3D Designer: Ma Ruey-Cherng
VR Developer: Hsu Fung-Heng, Lee Tung-Ping

Supported by:
National Culture and Arts Foundation
Taipei Treasure Hill Artist Village

2024