Technology has expanded the canvas for modern artist through the virtual dimension, it is allowing artist to express themselves and allowing viewers to participate in these new art form that were unimaginable in just a few years. From video games, to augmented reality and virtual reality, in this technological age, art can be created in alternate realms that allow viewers to fully immerse themselves in and freely explore. The following artworks challenge the boundaries between mainstream technology and art, through these immersive technologies, the line between fiction and reality are blurred as viewers are pulled into the narratives.
1. Journey ( Video Game with Augmented Reality Book)
Journey ( 2012 )
Thatgamecompany takes gamers on a beautiful Journey through an ethereal environment, an adventure that reflects on life and death. The video game follows the tale of a robed figure traveling through the ruin-strewn desert, making a pilgrimage to a mountain in the distance ( Ohannessian, 2012 ). The Art of Journey was later published to unveil the concepts, inspiration behind the critically- acclaimed video game, including intricate pencil drawings and 3D models. The book also included an augmented reality feature, making it an artwork itself.
Journey is one of the most enchanting indie video game, for both its surrealistic visuals and content. After creating Flow and Flower, two beautiful and enigmatic works the studio was known for, they decided to explore a different spectrum in the game industry. Creative director Jenova Chen stated that games like other forms of entertainment, movies, musics and novels are able to evoke emotions, yet most games are about domination and killing others. Chen aspired to communicate emotions absent in today's society, to feel small, the feeling of wonder and reverence and encourage the social and emotional exchange between players. Journey not only allows the adventurous experience but above all, value the emotional immersion of players through the combination of sounds, visuals, narrative and gameplay.
This experimental interactive game also incorporated other important elements of cultures and religion, which shows how technology can enhance the narrative and emotion conveyed. Journey is one of the games that stirred up the question of whether video games are considered art. Video games require players to be fully immersed, forcing them to look into the symbolism depicted to follow the story. It is a new form of art that is gradually gaining recognition, allowing the personalization of players while respecting the creation of the artists.
2. House of Eternal Return ( Installation and Augmented Reality )
Meow Wolf, House of Eternal Return ( 2015 - 18 )
The House of Eternal Return is an installation that looks like a scene straight out of a fantasy or science fiction story. Meow Wolf, an art and entertainment company composed of 135 artists based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, refurbished this 20,000 square foot former bowling alley into an explorable space based on a Victorian era house with a fictional legend. The backstory revolves around a Selig family who mysteriously disappeared after conducting an experiment which ostensibly warped the nature of time and space. Visitors are able to enter an alternate universe, venture around the whole premise to put together the puzzle of the mystery, fully engaging themselves in it and experiencing art with such narrative depth in a sophisticated manner ( Meow Wolf, 2018 ). This installation later inspired a song of the same name in September 2018 by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley.
This impressive installation is a novel interactive and non linear storytelling experience. Investor, George R.R. Martin who is also the author of renowned "Game of Thrones" allowed the realization of a such a unique and fantastical world. Unlike the motives of most contemporary art, Kadlubbek, the CEO of Meow Wolf collective stated that "it’s an art experience seen through the context of consumerism and entertainment,” an adventure that subverts the reality of the everyday.
Hundreds of artists worked together to create such breathtaking installation, from architecture and sculpture to augmented reality, light and audio engineering. An app, Anomaly Tracker was developed to further enhance the experience. The house is perhaps one of the newest form of new media art, unlike other augmented reality art, the house is already physically immersive itself before the added element of a virtual dimension. Kadlubek envisions a future where the lines between theme parks, role-playing games, augmented reality and art will be blurred ( Lesser, 2018 ). Perhaps, that future is not too far off, technology has permeated our lives, the art world has to open up to digital approach in art instead of persisting on traditional art forms to engage the new generation.
3. La Camera Insabbiata ( Virtual Reality Experience )
Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang, La Camera Inssabiata ( 2016 )
Virtual Reality(VR), VR-Headsets, Handheld device, computer, VR interactive imagery
La Camera Insabbiata ( also known as Chalk Room ) is an award winning virtual reality work by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang. The virtual installation is an enormous dark space of words, language and drawings that explode into a cloud of dust, crumble and reform. Viewers could freely explore and "float" through imaginations and fractured stories creating a dreamlike illusion, isolated from the world as mysterious ethereal sounds and voice fill the space. A physical structure exists to create different rooms where viewers could actually physically walk into, Anderson then disorients viewer by removing the element of gravity in the virtual space, sending some people falling out of their chairs.
Dreams are the main inspiration behind this magnificent virtual reality space, a world where things might not fully make sense yet so mesmerizing. Surrounded in a digitally engineered environment, participants are also able to create their very own drawings and sculptures while "flying" through floating words. Anderson rejected realism, creating an ultimate escape from reality, literally being a part of the fractured stories . She decided on a chalk board as the main material for the space as there is more texture, the dusts in the room creates a sense of touch, fully immersing the participants as to the perfect yet distant realistic structures.
The collaboration between Anderson and Huang received the award for Best VR Experience at the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Their achievement contributes to the change in perception of virtual reality as an art form. Despite having doubts on this medium, Anderson came to accept and embrace virtual reality as a storytelling method through persuasion of her partner and programmer in this project. Early avant-garde artists are accepting and experimenting wit new innovative means of expressing themselves, the art world is gradually changing to accommodate emerging media and technology as new means of expressing art.
4. teamLab Borderless ( Immersive Digital Installations )
Mori Building Digital Art Museum: Epson teamLab Borderless ( 2018 )
Established in 2001, teamLab is a leading Japanese art collective is well known for their immersive digital art installations. Mori Building Digital Art Museum Epson teamLab Borderless was formed to permanently house multiple large-scale digital installations where visitors could fully immerse themselves within imaginative and surreal space. The word "borderless" implies how the installations transition seamlessly. All exhibitions are immersive and interactive, visitors are encouraged to touch, follow, disrupt or add to the ethereal environment. The digital artworks installed are original, organic movements that are dependent on the participation of the audience, constantly changing, never on loop either ( Bouwer, 2018 ).
The fantastical installations look like they are drawn out of the virtual reality world, yet they are physically present. Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are Destined to be Chased as well, Transcending Space is one of the example where the digital elements created an illusion that viewers are floating, unable to tell the ground from the ceiling. Inoko Toshiyuki, the founder of Team Lab believes that is important for people to have such experiences where boundaries between the world and oneself are blurred, losing themselves in such ambiguity to appreciate being simply a part of the world around them ( Akiko, 2017 ). To enhance interactivity between audience and art, teamlab developed an app that allows a real-time, participation with the element of augmented reality.
Pioneered by artists such as Yayoi Kusama, multimedia experiential art installations are gaining popularity in contemporary art as technology continue to create new creative platforms for artists. This exhibition is a powerful testament to the advancement of and growing interest in digital art, as well as its unique ability to nurture creativity and curiosity through technology ( teamlab ).
Reference
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