Interactive Installation / Gesture-Based Narrative
Oracle of Suits / The Mustache
A playful installation where visitors use a razor-shaped controller to shave a misplaced moustache from the King of Hearts and reveal hidden card stories.
Year
2025
Context
HEAD Genève / Oracle of Suits
Role
Concept development, interaction design, visual design, user journey, playtesting, installation development.
Tools
Interactive screen, custom controller, visual storytelling, user testing, installation setup.
Overview
The Mustache is an interactive installation developed at HEAD Genève as part of the Oracle of Suits project. Visitors use a razor-shaped controller to shave a misplaced moustache from the King of Hearts.
Once removed, the moustache escapes through the deck and guides the visitor through a series of playful card-based scenes. The project combines historical anecdotes about playing cards with gesture-based interaction.
Through humor and absurdity, the installation explores identity, rejection, and hidden histories.
Interaction and Development
Visitors begin by picking up the razor-shaped controller and shaving the King of Hearts’ moustache. This gesture triggers the narrative and moves the visitor through several visual scenes.
The interaction was developed through research, gesture experiments, playtests, and scenography studies. These tests helped refine the shaving gesture into a simple and humorous way of revealing hidden stories.
Reflection
The project uses a small absurd action to open a larger fictional system. A moustache becomes a trigger for movement, rejection, identity, and hidden narrative.
I was interested in how a playful interaction could carry historical references without becoming too explanatory or academic.