LAJUNÉ MCMILLIAN: THE PORTAL’S KEEPER

The Portal's Keeper is an an interactive work that follows the journey of the artist's inner child into an alternate reality through meditation and prayer. Particles radiate from the avatar as an abstract representation of the energy accessed and emitted when moving freely through the world. Part of a broader project spanning performance, public art, and extended reality (XR), the work explores embodiment, inner child healing, spirituality, and liberation. Built in Unreal Engine using custom motion capture and 3D modeling, the environment unfurls into fractals and natural elements, asking how one would move if liberated from all spatial, temporal, and social constructs.

For the AURORA Biennial, the artist will present a public iteration of The Portal's Keeper, projected onto the facade of Dallas City Hall. Visitors are invited to approach the portal and share prayers, questions, or reflections for the future. Powered by a locally run AI system trained on the artist's voice, movement, and writings, the work transforms a civic building into a temporary sanctuary where technology, memory, and spiritual imagination converge.

About the Artist

LaJuné McMillian is a new media artist and creative technologist whose artistic practice integrates performance, extended reality, and physical computing to question our current forms of communication.

McMillian has exhibited and spoken about their work at Pioneer Works, National Sawdust, Leaders in Software and Art, Creative Tech Week, and Art && Code's Weird Reality. The artist previously served as Director of Skating at Figure Skating in Harlem, where they integrated STEAM and Figure Skating to teach girls of color about movement and technology. They have continued their research on Blackness, movement, and technology during residencies at Eyebeam, Pioneer Works Barbarian Group, and Barnard College.

Artwork Location