VRT P.T.I.C.H – Visions of Rapid Transformations: Perception Through Immersive Cinematic Hyperreality is a VR installation by Žiga Pavlovič that explores the chimney in Trbovlje as a space of physical tension, symbolic weight, and sensory memory. It uses digital technology as a medium for embodied reflection, allowing anyone to experience the sense of scale, height, and awe of the chimney – without having to climb it.

The work combines high-resolution 3D modeling of the landscape with a specially designed exoskeletal frame. The structure, made of wood, rope, and metal, gently lifts the participant off the ground and mimics bodily movement through space. This is not a game or a simulation; the user receives enough physical feedback to fully immerse themselves in what they see. Movement becomes meaningful: slow ascent, a moment on the edge, and a free fall.

In addition to sight, the work engages other senses. The smell of soot, the wind, changes in air pressure, and sound all contribute to a multi-layered experience that challenges the balance between control and surrender.

Artistically, Pavlovič does not treat the chimney as a frozen monument but as something that still holds energy. While the structure is inaccessible in real life, VRT P.T.I.C.H. breathes new life into it through interaction. It does not reconstruct the past – rather, through movement, tension, and sensory presence, it reimagines what the chimney could mean today.

The project also draws attention to the broader debate on digital heritage. What does it mean to preserve something that people can no longer enter? And how can we tell stories about these spaces that are emotional, not merely archival?

Inspired by works such as Tree (Milica Zec & Winslow Porter), this installation is based on the idea that presence – real presence – requires more than just headphones. It’s about offering the viewer just enough reality to trigger something deeper: memory, fear, excitement, wonder.