We are delighted to showcase Malfunctioning Wor(l)ds by Helena Hamilton during our Late Night Art event on Thursday 7th August 2025.

There will be an artist talk at 5pm - (registration is required).

The work will be open to the public between 6-8pm.

Malfunctioning Wor(l)ds is an interactive 3D digital artwork that explores the emotional and cognitive fallout of living under constant informational pressure. Developed in Unreal Engine and composed using ambisonic and interactive sound techniques, this prototype invites players into a fragmented, unfamiliar landscape constructed from the artist’s own drawings, handwritten phrases, and collage fragmented thoughts. Originally made as a way to process what could not be easily articulated, these analogue gestures are reanimated in digital space alongside digital structures.

At the centre of the experience is a simple, looping phrase: “something is happening.” Repeated, layered, and refracted across three ‘levels’, the statement becomes both urgent and empty, mirroring the continuous influx of headlines, alerts, and social performances that saturate daily life. Everything is urgent. Nothing is clear.

This work emerges from what the artist calls an ambient withdrawal - a slow dissociation that occurs not through turning away, but by staying constantly tuned in. In a world saturated with alerts, notifications, and demands to respond, the urgency is real—but when everything is urgent, meaning becomes abstract. This prototype marks the beginning of a reflection: how might we begin to reorient ourselves in a culture addicted to immediacy? What happens to perception, attention, and our ability to feel anchored when language is stretched to breaking point?

Visually, the piece is grounded in Hamilton’s hand-drawn text-based practice, developed over fifteen years and now translated into spatial digital form. Sound unfolds responsively, building a personal, evolving soundscape based on each user’s interaction with the world. Movement through the environment subtly alters gravity, weight, and rhythm, drawing attention to the body’s negotiation with disorientation.

This event presents the first prototype of Malfunctioning Wor(l)ds and invites public feedback (commonly referred to as a ‘playtest’ in the games industry). Hamilton will also give a talk on the complexities of translating a materially grounded, physically engaged art practice into a digital 3D experience using gaming technologies—sharing insights into the creative process, conceptual foundations, and the challenges encountered along the way.

Helena Hamilton is an artist working at the intersections of visual art, sound, digital interaction, and performance. Her practice explores the dynamic interplay between sound and visuals, bridging digital and physical environments to create encounters that resonate on sensory and emotional levels. Rather than constructing a narrative or offering commentary, her work seeks to foster immediate, impactful experiences that invite active participation and personal reflection.

Currently, her research investigates how technology can mediate these interactions, experimenting with hybrid forms that blur and expand the boundaries between disciplines. Helena is currently completing a PhD at Sonic Arts Research Centre.

Her work has been exhibited internationally in galleries and festivals across Europe, Asia, and North America. Solo exhibitions include Virtual Matter [Ambient], Naughton Gallery (2022), while showcases such as Digital in Berlin (2024) and Digital Design Weekend, V&A Museum (2017) reflect my commitment to innovation. Residencies in Tokyo and London have further enriched her exploration of experimental art.