2: Unity & Gaming Final Project

Explore Cottagecore is an interactive art piece created with Unity, a gaming engine. It was a virtual world that can be navigated like a computer game. This piece can be displayed on personal devices or in a gallery setting. The artwork is still being tested so it hasn't been uploaded online for public use.

 

The experience begins with a definition of the term 'cottagecore.' This art piece is an exploration and social commentary of the cottagecore trend.

 This artwork can be viewed on Windows or Mac.

The virtual world consists of a hazy forest scene filled with tall conifers, wispy grass, sprawling bushes, and rocky boulders.

Among the trees are partially hidden TikTok videos for the user to discover. All the videos are from the 'cottagecore' hashtag, meaning that they were made by random users from all over the world.

The cottagecore TikToks show animals, fashion, baked goods, gardening, fashion, makeup, crafts, and more.

Some of the nature footage in the TikToks cause the screens to blend into the forest. It almost becomes a game of hide and seek between the viewer and the TikToks in the virtual landscape.

The TikToks have audio zones, meaning that the volume of the video will get change depending on the user's distance from the screen. If the user is too far from the screen, they won't be able to hear anything other than the ambient forest sound. The ambient sound has birds chirping, the rustling of branches/leaves/grass, and a soft breeze.

Each video is attributed to the creator and the TikTok logo will appear in between videos. All the screens loop through different videos, so the user will have a unique experience each time they walk through the forest.

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In the starting location, the golden sunrays, glowing dust particles, and gently swaying foliage create a warm and inviting atmosphere for the user.

The forest becomes a bit gloomier as the user navigates to the densely packed areas.

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As the user goes deeper into the forest, they will come across an old warehouse.

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Inside the warehouse are racks, shipping supplies, shipping containers, wooden pallets, cardboard boxes, and amazon packages. Along the walls of the warehouse are more TikTok screens showing cottagecore videos. 

Unlike the previous videos, these TikToks more blatantly reveal the consumerist side of the trendy internet aesthetic.

The screens are juxtaposed with cardboard and plastic packaging to emphasize the consequences of those types of videos.

These videos can also be found under the 'cottagecore' hashtag on TikTok. They're mixed in with the regular cottagecore videos and it's sometimes hard to tell whether they're sponsored or not.

Many of these cottagecore amazon videos have the same amount of likes and comments as typical cottagecore videos.

I find these amazon TikToks quite ironic considering the cottagecore movement is meant to be a rejection of technology and consumerism and a celebration of handcrafted processes and nature.

The first gallery showing of Explore Cottagecore 

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I shared the above video to my Instagram story. It is a little preview of Explore Cottagecore. I received a lot of positive feedback from my followers so I am considering developing this project further and potentially putting it on different app stores.

I really enjoyed working on this project and I feel like learning Unity has definitely paid off. I look forward to making more work with this game engine.