Tell-Tale Fantasy
BECCA ROSE
A groundbreaking immersive VR experience, The Tell-Tale Rooms, comes to OBX at Hastings Commons in Hastings, from 13 to 18 March. The film and exhibition invite audiences to step into the extraordinary world of visually impaired, neurodivergent Hastings-based artist Eden Kötting.
Blending animation, archive footage, and live action, this 360° VR film takes viewers on a journey through Eden’s imagination, revealing a world where art, memory, and dreams collide. At the heart of The Tell-Tale Rooms is a digital replica of a centuries-old farmhouse in the French Pyrenees, a home to Eden and her father, filmmaker Andrew Kötting, for over 30 years.
Inside this world, visitors walk among Eden’s artwork and memories, guided by the artist herself. Eden was born with a rare genetic disorder, Joubert syndrome. Though profoundly disabled, here she becomes the mischief-maker and master of ceremonies, offering a rare and uplifting insight into her life. The Tell-Tale Rooms is a celebration of creativity, resilience, and the boundless possibilities of virtual reality.
Andrew and Eden Kötting have been lifelong collaborators, Fatherdaughter, a conjoined entity, creating remarkable art from a remote Pyrenean farmhouse and a studio in St Leonards-on-Sea. The Tell-Tale Rooms marks an exciting new chapter in their work, now reaching galleries worldwide.
Eden Kötting was born in 1988. Growing up, she developed a passion for drawing and painting. At a young age she appeared in the film Gallivant in 1996 alongside her great- grandmother. Eden continues to collaborate with her father on multimedia art projects, exhibitions, and performances. She is part of the Wednesday Mentoring Group at Project Art Works and shares a studio with Andrew in St Leonards-on-Sea.
Andrew Kötting trained at the Slade School of Art, specialising in performance and film. As Professor of Time-Based Media at UCA Canterbury, he has made over 100 short films and eight feature films, including Gallivant, This Filthy Earth, and The Whalebone Box. The Tell-Tale Rooms is his first VR project, created with Eden and TYKE Films.
Opening and Artist talk on Thursday 13th March, 6:30pm. VR film and exhibition free, open daily 4.00-7.00pm weekdays,10.00-5.00pm weekends until 18 March.Further information: theobserverbuilding.org.uk/event/tell-tale-rooms
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