PHANTOM

The portraits of the smiling young people on the photo wall could give you the impression that everyone is having a great time, but the South African artist Aluta Null doesn’t go along with all that pretense. In this interactive AR experience, winner of the XR Award at the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival earlier this year, Null explores the darkness and complexity of mental illness, mental health issues and drug addiction.

It’s very hard to explain, let alone understand, what it feels like when your head is falling apart. This is the reason for Null’s choice of ghosts as the main characters. Their elusive state between life and death focuses attention on the confusing or frightening emotions that mental health problems can bring.

Despite the extremely serious subject, Null doesn’t shy away from black, absurd humor, and the effect is both supportive and relieving. What’s the best choice of alcohol to wash down your pills with, and will it kind of go with your Froot Loops?