Dr. Jean-René Leblanc to Present at the 12th International Digital Storytelling Conference
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Jean-René Leblanc will be presenting at the 12th International Digital Storytelling Conference, taking place virtually from October 31–November 1, 2025.
Dr. Leblanc’s presentation will feature Gasoline Station AR, a standalone augmented reality (AR) mobile app that invites users to explore the layered cultural and environmental histories of a decommissioned gas station in rural Alberta, Canada. Freely available for both Android and macOS platforms, the app integrates site-specific 3D assets, archival materials, and ambient sound to evoke the emotional and material residues of everyday oil culture.
Developed through a research-creation approach, Gasoline Station AR bridges artistic storytelling with climate reflection by immersing users in an augmented environment where past, present, and speculative futures converge. The project transforms a seemingly ordinary fossil fuel site into a space of memory, critique, and imagination, mobilizing culture and heritage to foster climate awareness and intergenerational dialogue.
In his 4-minute reflection, Dr. Leblanc will discuss how AR’s immersive qualities enhance affective engagement, encouraging users to reconsider their relationships to extractive infrastructures. By combining personal narrative, speculative design, and mobile technology, Gasoline Station AR exemplifies how digital storytelling and cultural memory can activate place-based climate action and inspire climate-resilient imaginaries.
