Conan McIvor—THE ESTATE

About

The Estate is an immersive virtual game experience that draws on elements of visual installation, theatre, social media, pop culture, music and dance in exploring the ideas and values surrounding young working class men in Belfast growing up during the pandemic period, specifically notions of masculinity, body image, emotional relationships, and attitudes to sexuality and gender. 

The work was created in Unreal Engine 4 with the aim of engaging a young male working class audience - an often overlooked demographic in the arts. The focus of the project sought to give voice to their concerns and experiences and presented in colloquial language native to them, i.e. a video game installation – think Grand Theft Auto meets Dublin Oldschool.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a workshop with inner city 16-23 year old young men to experience the installation, offer feedback and evaluation and create a space for them to contribute to what a Dublin City Virtual Estate might look like and reflect their interests. Participants will also be joined by a group from Belfast to start a conversation between youth of both cities, exploring the challenges and opportunities in their respective communities.