Kiki’s Wonderful Little Worlds is a series of video installations exploring the human urge to escape into virtual realities. Since childhood, Glerum has retreated into imaginary worlds like RPG’s (role playing games) as a way of understanding his surroundings — a practice that once felt natural, but later revealed itself as a form of escapism. His background in animation further blurred the boundary between reality and the boundless possibilities of mediated worlds such as videogames.
Where everyday life can confront us with overwhelming, uncontrollable complexity, videogames offer structured freedom: infinite creative expression within carefully limited systems. This paradox raises a question that runs through the work: do fictional worlds offer genuine expansion of possibility, or do they merely highlight our lack of control in reality? And ultimately — what is it we are really trying to escape?
To investigate this, Glerum introduces Kiki, a fictional character who acts as both alter ego and guide. Each installation presents a world Kiki has constructed — speculative realities that reflect the artist’s own longing for alternative spaces of being. Drawing on videogame iconography, Glerum bridges the mundane with childlike fantasy, intensifying the tension between comfort, nostalgia, and alienation.
The screens themselves are transparent, allowing the physical environment to merge with the projected imagery. Yet alongside these dreamlike landscapes, the viewer is inevitably confronted with the cold, exposed electronics that sustain Kiki’s simulations — a reminder that even our most immersive escapes remain tethered to material reality.