By Georgiana Watt, Third Year Film and Television
The Undershed’s most recent immersive exhibition, The Everyworld, is a kaleidoscopic multimedia replica of a family farmhouse in the Pyrenees. Created by father-daughter duo Andrew and Eden Kötting, it has been transformed and transplanted to a small-ish exhibition space underneath The Watershed.
In simpler terms, The Everyworld is a collection of experimental short films, projections, artworks, and various paraphernalia collected throughout Eden Kötting's childhood (including a jar of toenails!). The result is a quirky living-museum-esque space dedicated to a tight-knit father-daughter relationship, grief, and the disabled experience, as Eden was born with Joubert Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
The Everyworld is also a part of a year-long programme of films, virtual experiences, and talks at The Watershed themed around the concept of home which began last April.
Linking the exhibition space together is a 12-minute virtual reality (VR) experience titled The Tell Tale Rooms (2025). This is a hyper-reality tour through the Kötting’s French family home, combining 360° camera scans with 3D animation and archival footage, accompanied by mysterious voiceover snippets. I recommend starting with the VR experience, as it allows you to be much more aware of all the different motifs that are present throughout the exhibit.
Whilst there were references to The Wizard of Oz, especially through the Dorothy-esque blue-and-white plaid pinafore that Eden is seen wearing throughout the exhibition, it was also very reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. One room makes you you feel tiny, the next you feel giant, the next you're upside down, and the next the floor disappears from underneath you.
This big-small feeling is mirrored at the back of the room with In The Wake of a Deadad (2000-2004), which features two giant inflatables of Deadad and Deadad’s Deadad, otherwise known as Andrew Kötting’s father and grandfather. Paired with these towering inflatables is a short film, shown on an old, tiny CRT (cathode ray tube) television, documenting the different places that Andrew took the inflatables. These places include Venice Beach in Los Angeles, Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico, and the Faroe Islands, where Andrew had discovered that Deadad’s Deadad had fathered an illegitimate son when he was stationed there during the Second World War.
The Everyworld was an incredibly accessible experience, both in terms of special accommodations as well as general approachability. Prior to starting the experience, there was an audio description guide available and a model of the gallery’s layout. There was also ample, comfortable seating and every film had subtitles. The VR headsets are also highly adjustable; I managed to wear my glasses underneath them. The gallery assistants were also amazing at caring for every attendee's needs, and gladly gave extra detail and context about the exhibit.
It was incredibly inspiring to see how the Köttings do not feel small whilst dealing with such big issues as disability activism and grief. As my first ever immersive and VR experience, I walked out of The Everyworld feeling like I could conquer the real world.
The Everyworld Exhibition will be running until Sunday, April 12th, with March and April dates to be announced. Visit The Watershed's website for more information: https://www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/season/719/the-everyworld-season.
Feature Image: Watershed / Andrew Kötting
Will you see The Everyworld?
