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The experience continues until you stop experiencing it

Unofficial biographical timeline tracing the life and work of pioneering Ukrainian experiential artist Alexander Popov.

While most members are interested in replicating Western gaming experiences, Popov argues for creating “new realities that question the nature of consciousness.” Leaves the group and establishes “PopovSoft Ltd,” an ironically named one-person “company” that becomes his publishing identity for increasingly experimental software. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December, makes a symbolic personal transformation, adopting the more internationally-recognized “Alexander” instead of the Ukrainian “Oleksandr.” In rare interviews from this period, he describes this as “a shedding of old identities” and “the first performance piece without an audience.” Friends note that the change coincides with a shift in his artistic approach, moving from technology-focused works to more psychologically immersive experiences. During the pandemic isolation, rumors circulate that Popov is planning his most ambitious work yet, described by insiders as “the dissolution of the boundary between art and reality.” Limited documentation emerges of small, invitation-only gatherings in the desert, with participants reporting experiences that “continue to unfold” even after returning home.

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