New interactive video explores what it's like to feel invisible

Have you ever felt invisible? Have you ever wanted to disappear? These are just some of the questions the viewer is asked to consider as they navigate their way through Asmaa Jama's haunting interactive video.

Blending interviews with footage of ritual performances, the project asks all who watch it to pause and think about how one's physical body can affect their experience of living in the world.

Artist Asmaa has previously worked in augmented reality. However, they wanted this project to exist as a simple web video that would be accessible to as many people as possible.

Asmaa explains how their project was inspired by a previous New Creatives commission, Another Pastoral by Lily Green; "It really made me reflect on who gets to belong in outdoor spaces".

"It provoked me to ask my relatives about their experiences of outdoors and belonging. The piece came from exploring that tension of what it means to be looked at / observed / watched / seen."

Before We Disappear was showcased at the Southwest Creative Technology Network’s Data Showcase on 26 March 2021. You can watch the event here.

Asmaa Jama is a Danish born Somali artist, poet and co-founder of art collective Dhaqan Collective. They work between languages and write about ghosts, hauntings and archives. Last year, they were writer-in-residence at Arnolfini. They have been published in print and online in Ambit, Ifa Gallery, ANMLY and The Good Journal. They have also been invited to perform at Southbank Centre and The Poetry Society.

Asmaa’s work has been translated into French, Swahili, Somali, Spanish and Portuguese. They are currently performing in Mailles, an internationally touring production. Most recently they were shortlisted for the Babel and Specimen Press translation prize, and were a recipient of The White Pube writer’s grant. Asmaa was a semi-finalist in spoken word competition BBC Words First and an inaugural alumni of Obsidian Foundation.

Gouled Ahmed, Gebriel Balcha, Roseanna Dias, Ibrahim Hirsi and Joseph Horton also contributed to the project.

The project was commissioned by New Creatives - a talent development scheme launched by BBC Arts and Arts Council England. It was supported by Kaleider and Calling The Shots.