Simsing & Storytelling

Simsing & Storytelling is an artistic project that explores the personal experience of the emigrant crisis, coming of age, and making life-changing decisions through the stories of two characters from different cultural backgrounds.

The main protagonists are Ivan from the Ukrainian fairy tale about the cursed city and Ursli from the Swiss  children’s book Schellen-Ursli. One is a 20-year-old young man, the other a 12-year-old boy, and both go through transformative journeys, facing challenges that force them to grow up, make choices, and shape their identities.

This project is also a personal exploration – I am interested in the ways I relate to these characters and the parallels between their stories and my own life. It’s an attempt to reflect my own emigrant experience through the lens of their struggles.

In the form of gameplay videos created in The Sims 4, I simulate the characters' interactions, adapt them to a new environment, and explore the dynamics of their relationships. The game itself introduces narrative twists, shaping a new storytelling experience for Ivan and Ursli – one that unfolds beyond the endings of their original literary works.