PROJECTS

Audience Participatory Interactive Content [Scarecrow:Rekindle]

2025.07.21

<Scarecrow:Rekindle> is a reimagined version of the VR immersive work Scarecrow, originally produced by K-Arts’ Art & Technology Lab (AT Lab) in 2019 as part of the IP Upgrading Project.

Set in a village whose hearts have been stolen by sinister phoenixes, the original Scarecrow follows the journey of a lone scarecrow who remains behind, breaking a curse and restoring the villagers’ hearts. Since its invitation to the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the work has been presented at major film festivals worldwide and has been praised by leading international outlets such as Forbes, which described it as “one of the most powerful experiences in digital content history.”

<Scarecrow:Rekindle> expands upon the original’s universe and narrative through VRChat, allowing multiple users to connect simultaneously, enjoy the content together, and engage in enhanced collaborative interaction. In the experience, participants work together to reignite the scarecrow’s heart—smashing boulders to release blocked water flows and collecting crystals to make flowers bloom on barren ground.

This interactive storytelling delivers a resonant message: “When we are together, we can comfort someone and once again speak of hope to the world.”

Reborn through the IP Upgrading Project, the audience-participatory interactive work Scarecrow: Rekindle achieved a remarkable milestone by winning the Best Immersive Theatre award at the 33rd Raindance Film Festival.

In its jury statement, the festival commented: “Scarecrow: Rekindle is an emotionally resonant XR experience that offers a fresh perspective on how vividly we can feel present within it, make our own choices, and immerse ourselves in the story. Through expressions that are simple yet poetic, it delivers a profound emotional impact, and through the warmth of solidarity embedded in its uncluttered design, it powerfully demonstrates how immersive storytelling—rooted in the fragility and delicacy of the human condition—can be both compelling and effective.”

Moving forward, AT Lab will continue to use the IP Upgrading Project—a program that supports outstanding works like <Scarecrow> in being reinterpreted and developed in line with technological and societal changes—not only to enhance the quality of its productions, but also to build a sustainable creative ecosystem for K-Arts artists.