Saints of Paradox: Integrating Cultural and Storytelling Concepts in an Interactive Digital Narrative

Tatiana Tavares; Marcos Mortensen Steagall

doi:10.24135/link-praxis.v3i1.38

Tatiana Tavares Auckland University of Technology
Marcos Mortensen Steagall (Translator) Auckland University of Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24135/link-praxis.v3i1.38

Keywords: Realismo maravilhoso, Augmented Reality, Interactive Narrative, Polyvocal, Practice-led research

Abstract

This article outlines a practice-oriented, artistic research project that asks: What is the potential of an interactive digital narrative in exploring the interplay between story elements to examine the boundaries between reality and imagination within the framework of Realismo Maravilhoso? The design outcome, Saints of Paradox, is a printed picture book enhanced with AR (Augmented Reality) technology, allowing for multiple readings of a narrative through three distinctive syncretic narrators, or saints. These narrators reinterpret the story by altering both the illustrative content and monologue, shaping the narrative through polyvocality. Formatted as a series of pictorial sets in potentia, the book enables readers to scan pages with a mobile device, revealing animated characters within illustrated environments, accompanied by cinematic soundscapes. The work challenges the supremacy of a singular, authoritative truth, aligning with postcolonial critiques of absolutes and Bakhtin’s theories of polyphony and dialogism. Syncretism operates not only as a cultural reference to Brazilian traditions and religion but also as an artistic and narrative device that negotiates multiple perspectives within a parallax structure—both a technical and artistic mechanism. This research is framed within an artistic paradigm that employs a heuristic approach, integrating tacit and explicit knowledge in the development of the fictional narrative, its structure, and stylistic treatments. The methodology consists of designer’s journals, iterative assembly, overviewing and testing, and the strategic use of feedback. The project contributes to polyvocality and dialogical storytelling, expanding the possibilities of interactivity and immersion within a sequential, print-based format and fostering a distinctive transcultural narrative through practice.

Author Biographies

Tatiana Tavares, Auckland University of Technology

Dr Tatiana Tavares is a Senior lecturer and the Programme Director for Doctoral Studies at AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand. She is a practicing artist with 15 years experience in the graphic design Industry. Her artistic doctoral thesis (completed in 2019) is concerned with the potentials of polyvocality and interactive digital narrative. Her subjects involve practice-led research methodologies, Latin American syncretism in artistic and literary form, magical realism, and emergent technology. Her design practices cross graphic design, creative writing, illustration, prop making, film, sound design, AR technology and animation.

Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Auckland University of Technology

Marcos Mortensen Steagall is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Design at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). In his research and professional pursuits, Dr. Mortensen Steagall explores the intersection of visual semiotics and practice-oriented methodologies in Art, Design, Communication, and Technology. His artistic practice, primarily centred on lens-based and digital image-making, serves as a method for knowledge production. Dr. Mortensen Steagall's work is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach that merges academic research with artistic practice, highlighting the significance of embracing diverse cultural narratives and knowledge systems in Design. Additionally, he is the editor of the academic journal LINK Praxis and chairs the LINK International Conference, focusing on Practice-led Research and the Global South.

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