All families have secrets. Skeletons hidden in closets. Things left unsaid.
In Where There’s Smoke, project creator Lance Weiler unravels the secrets of his enigmatic father — a volunteer firefighter and amateur fire scene photographer — and two devastating fires that struck the Weiler family in the early 1980s. In the final months of his battle with colon cancer, his father invites Lance to interview him, and these conversations reignite 30 years of wondering… were those fires more than tragic accidents?
Where There’s Smoke is an immersive storytelling experience that spans exhibitions, virtual experiences, and live performances. The project is a mystery about life, loss and memory.
In Where There’s Smoke, project creator Lance Weiler unravels the secrets of his enigmatic father — a volunteer firefighter and amateur fire scene photographer — and two devastating fires that struck the Weiler family in the early 1980s. In the final months of his battle with colon cancer, his father invites Lance to interview him, and these conversations reignite 30 years of wondering… were those fires more than tragic accidents?
Where There’s Smoke is an immersive storytelling experience that spans exhibitions, virtual experiences, and live performances. The project is a mystery about life, loss and memory.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“I had no idea that was possible within Miro.”
Helen (High School Teacher)
“Incredible storytelling - blown away that I could feel something so profound and so connected to strangers in a browser.” Nicholas (UX Designer)
“Powerful and so universal the technology is truly in service of the storytelling.” Leah (Strategist)
“I had no idea that was possible within Miro.”
Helen (High School Teacher)
“Incredible storytelling - blown away that I could feel something so profound and so connected to strangers in a browser.” Nicholas (UX Designer)
“Powerful and so universal the technology is truly in service of the storytelling.” Leah (Strategist)
SOCIAL STORYTELLING
I’ve run over 100 virtual experiences of Where There’s Smoke for upwards of 100 participants at a time. Each participant is granted editorial permission so that they can move layers within the Miro board.
SOCIAL PUBLISHING
Over the last four years, I’ve leaned into the affordances and constraints of Miro. It has become a central part of my artistic practice. Where There’s Smoke demonstrates how Miro can be leveraged to create compelling immersive storytelling experiences. The following images are from a virtual experience I ran on April 21st. Everything you see below was created live within and on top of a Miro board. Elements from the show are being published in the upcoming issue of DAM, an art publication.
BRIDGING PHYSICAL & DIGITAL
I’ve also staged Where There’s Smoke in a variety of live settings such as Lincoln Center in NYC, the Portland Art Museum, and ArtYard in Frenchtown, NJ. These shows are performed in theaters with audiences of a few hundred people. Later this summer, I'll start to run shows that connect the physical and virtual experiences.
PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCES + COLLECTIBLES
FOR AN EXAMPLE OF PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCES + COLLECTIBLES CLICK HERE