To Know You By The Hand

‘To Know You By Hand’ is a participatory VR experience where visitors meet each other solely through their hands and heartbeats. Wearing headsets and sensors, two participants enter a dark virtual space. Identity is stripped away; no names, no faces, only motion.

This silent, embodied encounter invites people to explore intimacy and trust in ways that bypass assumptions and language. It is a meeting between strangers who, in real life, might never speak to one another.

The experience challenges our confidence in body language. Many participants begin certain of their ability to communicate through gesture, only to realise how little they know about speaking without words. Some mirror each other. Some attempt conversation. Some play quiet games with their fingers. Each pair discovers their own rhythm.

This shared unknowing creates a space of openness; one where people encounter each other with fresh attention. Anonymity becomes a condition for connection, not a barrier.

Contrary to conventional approaches to VR, the work shifts the focus from visual spectacle to technology and embodiment. Modest yet intimate.