Occulus Cirrus 2021

Crisis Centre Vliet & Burgh takes care of children between 6-12 who have been placed directly from home.


The Crisis Centre is the place where children between 6-12 years old are taken if they have to be urgently removed from their home, either because they are facing immediate danger or are living under intolerable circumstances. Such an intervention is often aided by the police. This process is harrowing for all involved especially the children. A foot between the door, a social worker who stuffs your things in a bag, screaming mothers and/or fathers, police and after all this placed in an unknown car being driven to an unknown place. The only certainty being that the home you once knew is gone.
At the Crisis Centre the children are waiting for a foster family. Unfortunately, it is no exception that children stay here much longer than the intended 4 days to 2 weeks, because of insufficient foster care. As a result, children are in the most uncontrollable period for longer than desired; away from the parents with no prospect of a new base. This state of mind has become the starting point for my work. I want to give the children in Vliet & Burgh a sense of control to build something up in their own reality. The work is made in the "frustration chamber"; a space intended for children to calm down and get away from a certain situation. However, this room has lost its function over the years. For the design of this art commission, extensive research has been done into child trauma and prevention to transform the room into an experience that can have a positive influence on the well-being of the children. Oculus Cirrus is a virtual and physical place where the children of Vliet & Burgh can play and relax in one large work of art.


Oculus Cirrus is a VR game that teaches young children to relax without realizing it. It combines the action and sensation of flying in VR with the relaxing effect of breathing and mindfulness exercises. In the Oculus Cirrus the children go on a journey through the imagination not only by flying but also dancing, archery, throwing pizza, drawing in 3D and hanging virtually in the same ball pit as there is in real life. There is no winning or losing, no beginning or end.
It is somewhere between creating a dream world in which you can move freely and "gamifying" "mindfulness"

There is no such thing as a game.


The VR game is made in collaboration with Studio VRij
The room is made in collaboration with Studio Lonk
Within the game each island has its own coach voice over. The actors who provided the recordings are Theo Wesselo, Monique van de Ven, Edwin de Vries and Shahine El Hamous.