Once upon a time VR was seen as a gimmick reserved for gaming nerds and pilots in training, but thanks to many recent advances in technology this once unwieldy means of experiencing content is entering the mainstream, everywhere from museums to art galleries and companies are finding ways to bring customers closer to the products or experiences they’re selling, be it a film streaming service or an online comparison platform giving customers free bets as a special treat.
Here are some of the very best VR exhibitions of past and present as well as a look ahead to what lies in store for the VR medium and the artists who are coming around to the idea of using it.
Re-Creating Modigliani’s Studio
The Tate Modern gallery in London was one of the pioneers when it comes to VR, teaming up with HTC Vive to develop a completely interactive recreation of the master’s studio, immersing guests in the atmosphere of 1919 Paris.
It’s this interaction with the art that appeals most to many artists, who want their audiences to experience the art in intriguing new ways.
Coming Face-To-Face with the Artist
Since its conception, VR has been used to bring real-life scenarios to life so that people can train and learn without having the costs or health and safety concerns of a live test scenario. For these reasons, VR has been used extensively by the military and flight schools.
In the art world, Marina Abramović is taking this concept a step further, allowing gallery-goers the opportunity to venture into her interactive artwork called Rising, while also getting to speak directly with an avatar of the artist herself.
Collectors Are Cottoning on as Are Younger Audiences
At the recent Art Basel in Hong Kong, a piece of VR artwork was acquired for $100,000 showing that there’s an appetite for such pieces.
It’s also a great way of bringing new life to staid galleries in need of a breath of fresh air, with younger audiences used to playing games using the technology being drawn to galleries they otherwise would have deemed off-limits to them.
What’s also interesting to note is that many are predicting that VR could ultimately lead to the end of physical galleries altogether, doing away with the need to shoulder expensive rent and staff costs, allowing art lovers to access galleries and art spaces from the comfort of their homes.
