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17-25 October 2026

Reverse Alchemy

Speculative Art and Design with XR for Inclusive, Ethical, and Sustainable Futures

Hosted by Royal College of Art - IED

This project is now archived and was part of DDW24

Event type

Exhibition

Reverse Alchemy is a project led by Carolina Ramirez-Figueroa and students from the Royal College of Art's Information Experience Design programme that explores sustainable and speculative futures through immersive VR experiences and interactive installations.

Reverse Alchemy

The phrase ‘Reverse Alchemy’ provides a neat metaphor for intervening in technical processes that facilitate outcomes toward more organic, magical, or uncanny ends. In this context, we hope to initiate conversations about the implications of XR technological futures in relation to sustainability, human well-being, and collective good. The goal is to then translate those conversations into proposals for defined actions, products, services, or policies—informed by art and design.

Immersive Experiences

These VR experiences feature audiovisual elements, non-linear storytelling, and immersive interactions within site-specific or versatile settings. The interactive experiences highlight XR technology’s potential to represent marginalised identities, foster allyship, and shape future technologies. This project demonstrates the power of design in creating a better future, aiming to leave a lasting impression on visitors by showcasing how emerging technologies can be steered towards more magical, organic, and human-centred outcomes.

Hosted by

Royal College of Art - IED
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About Royal College of Art - IED

Information Experience Design (IED) is the creative practice of designing meaningful experiences of information. We are interested in human and more-than-human perspectives and realities, as we work to cohabit compassionately with others with whom we share our complex world. We are interested in many forms of intelligence, and our media include living, computational and speculative systems.

Colofon

Jaein Lee, Thomas Bugg, Dongwon Park, Emerald Chen, Boluwatife Kolawole, Jiaqi Song, Yuanyuan Wang, Lidi Fu, Nahuel Basterretche, Seonbin Yun Participating Artists
Seonbin Yun, Jaein Lee DDW Team Lead
Seonbin Yun Project Manager
Jaein Lee Graphic and Identity Design
Dr. Carolina Ramirez-Figueroa Project Lead Tutor