Student “Social Cave” exhibit shows true digital/physical mash up

Some people call it Phygital.  Some call it OnLive.  But no matter what we call it, how can we predict how our increasingly virtual (digital) world will shape the future?  Well… some students from Columbia University may not have figured it out, but their exhibit during Milan design week offers a unique demonstration of how physical and virtual spaces toy with people’s sense of privacy and intimacy.

In the Social Cave, people could interact with each other by entering the exhibit and communicating through what was essentially a virtual window.  It’s intriguing to see how the screen creates a veil of anonymity and, in turn, affects people’s interactions despite their actual physical proximity.

I wonder… as HD and 3D become more lifelike, will the veil prevail?