Healing Atmospheres 癒氛 is a technodelic virtual reality film attuned to the environmental temporalities of illness. Through an immersive narrative set in Hong Kong, the film traces a healing journey through multiple therapeutic spaces—hospital wards, TCM clinics, natural landscapes, and local communities—weaving altered perceptions and madness poetics that saturate environments of care. Medical futurism and algorithmic presences shape the tempo and agency of these atmospheres, haunting the subject’s sensorium. The film composes healing as an unstable choreography where spaces are animated by the longing to be otherwise.
Directed by Professor Alex K. Gearin (HKU) and Professor Emily Yu Zong (HKBU) with poetry by Mirium Kwok.
Opening Night: January 29, 5:30 – 7:30pm
Venue: Arts Tech Lab, 4/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong
Moderated by Professor Tim Gruenewald + Introduction and Q&A with the filmmakers.
During the Opening Night, visitors are invited to view the film via the Arts Technology Lab VR headsets.
Registration for Opening Night:
For HKU members: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=104599
For Non-HKU members: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=104599
Following the Opening Night, the exhibition will run from February 2nd to 5th, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Foyer 4 (Outside Cheung Kung Hai Lecture Theatre 4), G/F, William MW Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam. (Note: This is a different campus to the Opening Night Event.)
The film is supported by The Medical Ethics and Humanities Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine (HKU) in collaboration with the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (HKBU) and the eXtended Humanities Lab, The Faculty of Arts (HKU).
We hope to see you there!
Healing Atmospheres
