Nikki Giovanni Immersive Experience
This experience combined recordings of Nikki Giovanni reciting six of her poems, at different times during her life, with original music compositions, and motion graphic projections across three 11×17’ walls. The audio was spatialized on a high-density speaker array in The Cube at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. The effect was an immersive experience with the sound of Giovanni' speaking from different areas of the large blackbox theater, corresponding to different ages in her life, music composition moving and flowing around the viewer, and visuals that largely enveloped the visitor’s field of vision.
I joined the team to record the motion capture performance of Brittney Harris, provided feedback and consultation on all translated the recordings into animations for three of the motion graphic compositions:
Leaves (5:45 - 7:43) - motion graphics and art direction by Trevor Finney, reference performance Brittney Harris
Ego Tripping (9:52 - 12:05) - motion graphics and art direction by Meaghan Dee, motion capture performance by Brittney Harris, character compositing by Trevor Finney
Quilts (1:54 - 3:44) - motion graphics by Demetrya Dye, art direction by Meaghan Dee, motion capture performance by Brittney Harris, character compositing by Trevor Finney)
All audio was created by Charles Nichols and Brittney Harris. Full credit below.
An early screening of the experience, featuring just two of the six poems, coincided with the June 8, 2025, Black Love is Black Wealth memorial.
The completed exhibition debuted in the The Cube on the one-year anniversary of Giovanni’s death. A smaller multi-month installation was installed in the Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory, where thousands of people saw it.
All events were free and open to the public.
Visual composition by Trevor Finney for the poem, Leaves. Photo courtesy of Meaghan Dee.
Trevor Finney and Brittney Harris reviewing an early test of Leaves.
Meaghan Dee, Trevor Finney, and Brittney Harris in an early planning meeting.
A class visiting the Nikki Giovanni memorial immersive experience. Photo by Luke Hayes for Virginia Tech.
A group viewing a screening of Ego Tripping during Black Love is Black Wealth.
Charles Nichols and Trevor Finney reviewing an early test of Nikki Rosa.
Trevor Finney assisting Brittney Harris with the Optitrack motion capture suit. Photo by Clark Dehart for Virginia Tech.
Demetrya Dye, Meaghan Dee, Brittney Harris, Trevor Finney reviewing Quilts. Photo by Clark Dehart for Virginia Tech.
David Franusich working on the virtual twin of the projection space. Photo by Clark Dehart for Virginia Tech.
Trevor Finney and Brittney Harris reviewing animation in the motion capture room. Photo by Clark Dehart for Virginia Tech.
Credits
Poetry and Readings: Nikki Giovanni
Poetic Arrangement: Brittney S. Harris and Charles Nichols
Music: Charles Nichols
Embodied Movement: Brittney S. Harris
Motion Capture: Trevor Finney and Alice Macanga
Motion Graphics and Graphic Design: Meaghan Dee, Trevor Finney, Demetrya Dye, and Lexy Altieri
Project Advisor: Gena E. Chandler, PhD
Project Management: Meaghan Dee
ICAT Technical Support: Gustavo Araoz, David Franusich, Brandon Hale, and Tanner Upthegrove
Additional Thanks to Kelsey Hammer, Ella Shaffer, and Morgan Weidling for participating in creative brainstorming sessions.
Special thanks to Virginia Fowler for permission, time, and poetry consultation.
Additional thanks to Virginia Tech, President Sands, the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT), the University Libraries at Virginia Tech, and the Center for the Arts for supporting this project
News & Awards
News:
WFXR - Virginia Tech honors Nikki Giovanni through immersive exhibit
RadioIQ WVTF - Nikki Giovanni's poems inspire multimedia art exhibit, on display in Blacksburg Dec. 9
Virginia Tech News - Immersive exhibit celebrates Nikki Giovanni's life and poetry
Virginia Tech News - Exhibit celebrating the life and poetry of Nikki Giovanni opens in Alexandria
Awards:
Mosaic Award (AAF Roanoke)
Best in Show (AAF Roanoke)
Gold Award (AAF Roanoke)
Graphic Design USA Award