This interview was conducted by Andrea Kim and Samuel Mendez, research assistants at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab. The conversation has been edited and condensed for space and clarity.

At Sundance New Frontiers 2020, Xin Liu and Qinya (Jenny) Guo debuted Living Distance, a VR piece about the journey of Liu’s wisdom tooth, which was launched into space on Flight NS-11 in a crystalline robotic sculpture.

Liu, the lead artist and director of Living Distance, has created works ranging from performances and installations to scientific experiments and academic papers. She is currently the Arts Curator in Space Exploration Initiative at the MIT Media Lab. Guo, the executive producer, is an award-winning cross-border creative producer, XR arts collector and tech entrepreneur at LumeireVR. In this interview, Kim and Mendez sit down with the two of them to discuss their approach to blending high technology with human themes to tell stories in VR.