I think a discussion would be amazing.
As someone who has been doing VR for decades (about two to be exact) and written about fifteen or twenty formal and informal texts on the matter, I totally agree with the notion of having a discussion, but in my opinion with the goal of outside publication.
A lot of this depends on audience.
for example, in working with Cao Fei on RMB City for my piece, "Dream Umbrellas" in Second Life (I ask that we talk about immersive 3D spaces as a historical context for VR, including CAVEs etc). She didn't get why people were not thronging to her when the site was at the Serpentine, and she was honestly shocked when I told her that the majority of Second Lifers did not know or care what the Serpentine Gallery or yokohama triennial, or, or or, was.
I agree that the notion of high-capital slick production in an upscale artworld setting is a bit of a red herring, as I feel all they are really selling is provenance, as the platforms with degrade or become anachronistic rather quickly. For example, in my chapter in the AR art Book that I'm revising, half of the work si now anachronistic after four years. So instead of doing a total rewrite, I'm starting to reframe this as history.
The idea of whether the critical or experimental work is being seen or not is a matter of audience, engagement, history, and dissemination. There are plenty of works that are extremely we.ll known in VR, others that have been getting international awards, Sundance has gotten behind the "idea' of VR (unfortunately largely as 360 degree video. So that asks what the formal qualities of VR are? Desk scale, room scale, modified mobile headset (Nomo), or the popular conception of 360 degree video (which can have interaction).
There is a huge dgree of engagement with these tropes as art in many places, but is Keilani asking whether there is recognition for the forms at the MoMA, Tate, etc? Tina Sauerlander and Alfredo Salazar Ccaro are doing great work in spearheading these things, and there are galleries like Priska, DAM, Transfer and Dust (which has been doing only VR & AR for 2-3 years now), and Keilani's passion for the genre is a given here.
I think that the "High End" VR announcements should be acknowledged, but taken for what they are - upper end artists brazenly hopping on a trope, and should be considered as such. I applaud Laturbo Avedon for asking for corrections in the article on the "gallery" put forth by Abramovic, Koons and Eliasson.
I am chair of a VR as intervention panel at College Art Association this February, and I wish I would have had a couple more edgy proposals. I was asked to do an anthology from the proposals, but maybe this is the opportunity for this discussion, and as a critical reader on VR and art to follow the Oxford Handbook of Virtuality.
-----Original Message-----
From: Curating digital art - www.crumbweb.org [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of NEW-MEDIA-CURATING automatic digest system
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2017 3:00 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: NEW-MEDIAotion of having a discussion.-CURATING Digest - 23 Aug 2017 to 24 Aug 2017 (#2017-85)
There are 4 messages totaling 573 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. the return of VR (4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 05:43:36 +0000
From: Pauline de Souza <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: the return of VR
Dear All,
Work is being done in this area but it is not done just by artists. It is done be people who have strong interest in this area. People who are interested in the production etc are working with teams which does include artists. Some material is published but is not open publication. Some publications are in computer journals which are not often read by directors, curators and artists'.
Hope this helps.
Pauline.
Sent from my Windows Phone
________________________________
From: Kelani Nichole<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 23/08/2017 18:31
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [NEW-MEDIA-CURATING] the return of VR
Thank you for bringing up this critical issue.
The jargon and misconceptions around simulation technology in the artworld is embarrassing. None of these mainstream artists, exhibitions and their reviews are addressing the formal qualities of virtual reality.
The implications of 'production' and 'distribution' on a studio practice are not even being acknowledged by efforts like this.
Why is 'high-quality' the standard? And where is the historical context for these works? Genuine critical interrogation of the medium has been happening for decades, but rarely seen.
Much needed work to be done in this space!
Best,
Kelani Nichole
Owner/Director, TRANSFER
http://transfer.gallery
*June 8th – August 20th at Haus der elektronischen Künste Basel* 'Unreal. The Algorithmic Present <http://www.hek.ch/programm/events/event/testing-real.html>' featuring the TRANSFER Download
*September 9th – October 14th at TRANSFER* 'Behind White Shadows <http://transfergallery.com/behind-white-shadows-rosa-menkman/>' a solo exhibition from Rosa Menkman *This exhibition is supported by the TRANSFER VR Commission
<http://transfergallery.com/vr/>*
On Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 1:11 PM, Christiane Paul, Curatorial < [log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I couldn't agree more. I keep reminding people of Virtual Reality: An
> Emerging Medium (https://kimpattersonvirtualre
> ality2014.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/virtual-reality-an-
> emerging-medium-1993/) at the Guggenheim in 1993.
>
> [https://kimpattersonvirtualreality2014.files.wordpress.com/
> 2014/10/413_1r110402_003_sep2.jpg?w=1200]<https://kimpatters
> onvirtualreality2014.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/virtu
> al-reality-an-emerging-medium-1993/>
>
> Virtual Reality: An Emerging Medium (1993) | Virtual Reality in Art<
> https://kimpattersonvirtualreality2014.wordpress.com/
> 2014/10/16/virtual-reality-an-emerging-medium-1993/>
> kimpattersonvirtualreality2014.wordpress.com
> Intel Digital Education & Arts Program brought Virtual Reality to the
> public in the Guggenheim Art Museum. The curators were unsure of the
> response the exhibition would get, but it sold out eve…
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Curating digital art - www.crumbweb.org<http://www.crumbweb.org>
> < [log in to unmask]> on behalf of Andreas Broeckmann <
> [log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2017 6:47:12 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: the return of VR
>
> friends, do you remember the discussions about the diffusion of "New
> Media Art" into the mainstream, almost a decade ago, and the
> entanglements of "Post-Internet Art"?
>
> personally i thought that formulations like "some of the highest
> quality Virtual Reality artworks currently available in the world",
> "Virtual Reality has made a successful entry onto the global market",
> "this medium [enables] artists to cross boundaries and expand their
> field unlike ever before", or "the medium, thus, literally, opens up
> an entirely new world for both artists and viewers", - would belong to
> the past, and maybe this announcement is just a glitch on the surface
> of the post-digital; but it is strange to find such 1996-style,
> technically affirmative rhetoric on E-Flux...
>
> greetings,
> -a
>
> -------- Weitergeleitete Nachricht --------
> Betreff: Faurschou Foundation Beijing presents Virtual Reality Art
> Datum: Wed, 23 Aug 2017 04:00:06 -0400
> Von: e-flux <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
> */Virtual Reality Art/*
> Christian Lemmerz, Erik Parker, Paul McCarthy, Tony Oursler, Yu Hong
> August 27, 2017–February 3, 2018
>
> *Press preview:* August 26, 3–4pm
> *Opening:* August 26, 4–7pm
>
> *Faurschou Foundation Beijing*
> Chaoyang Qu
> 2 Jiuxuanquao Road
> 100015 Beijing
> China
>
> http://www.faurschou.com
>
> Faurschou Foundation is pleased to present some of the highest quality
> Virtual Reality artworks currently available in the world. The
> exhibition, /Virtual Reality Art/, will be exhibited in Beijing from
> August 27, 2017 to February 3, 2018, and will consist of five
> consecutive “sub-exhibitions” for each participating artist: Christian
> Lemmerz, Erik Parker, Paul McCarthy, Tony Oursler and Yu Hong.
>
> Virtual Reality has made a successful entry onto the global market at
> an unusually fast pace. In the art world, this medium is entering a
> ground-breaking period, enabling artists to cross boundaries and
> expand their field unlike ever before. It is impossible to do justice
> to Virtual Reality artworks with a mere description, which is why, in
> order to understand them, one must experience them first-hand. The
> medium, thus, literally, opens up an entirely new world for both
> artists and viewers.
>
> In collaboration with Khora Contemporary, Faurschou Foundation has
> worked with several internationally renowned contemporary artists to
> create Virtual Reality art, namely Christian Lemmerz, Erik Parker,
> Paul McCarthy and Tony Oursler. With this new exhibition, the
> Foundation will also reveal a new piece by Chinese artist, Yu Hong.
> Each artwork will be exhibited for a one-month period with
> complementary sketches, books and artworks for each of the artists and their respective VR pieces.
>
> Faurschou Foundation is glad to continue collaborating with Khora
> Contemporary after the successful exhibition,/New Media (Virtual
> Reality)/, in connection to the Venice Biennale 2017. Khora
> Contemporary was established in 2016 in Copenhagen by five partners
> with a common passion for art, and a shared vision of Virtual
> Reality’s significance in the art landscape of the future. Khora
> Contemporary conducts extensive research on this progressive medium,
> and specializes in translating the vision of established and emerging
> artists into the language of VR. This makes Khora Contemporary the
> first production company to focus on creating contemporary artworks in Virtual Reality.
>
> Christian Lemmerz: August 27–September 29, 2017 (Opening August 26)
> Erik Parker: October 1–27, 2017 (Opening September 30) Paul McCarthy:
> October 29–November 24, 2017 (Opening October 28) Tony Oursler:
> November 26, 2017–January 5, 2018 (Opening November 25) Yu Hong:
> January 7–February 3, 2018 (Opening January 6)
>
> *Faurschou Foundation?*
> Faurschou Foundation is a privately owned art institution with a
> collection of contemporary art, and with exhibition venues at
> Copenhagen North Harbour as well as Beijing’s attractive art neighbourhood 798.
> Faurschou Foundation introduces the visitors to some of the world’s
> most acclaimed artists. Faurschou Foundation’s collection is
> constantly developed and expanded.
>
> Over a very short period since its establishment in 2011 Faurschou
> Foundation has profiled itself as a significant art institution with
> solo exhibitions of among other artists Cai Guo-Qiang, Louise
> Bourgeois, Shirin Neshat, Gabriel Orozco, Danh Vo, Bill Viola, Ai
> Weiwei, Yoko Ono and Peter Doig.
>
> For further information please contact:
> English inquiry: Katrine Winther, [log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> / T +45 33914131 Chinese inquiry:
> Rebecca Yang, [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> / T
> +86 13146006899
>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 16:29:56 +0930
From: Simon Biggs <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: the return of VR
There’s loads of work going on around the place in this area - including here at the South Australian School of Art.
I wouldn’t take much notice of the announcement of the show in Beijing. Looking at the blurb for the organisation they have a history of bringing in high profile artists. I suspect their primary intention is to promote their brand by association with the artists they commission. Their interest in VR, AR or interactive environments is probably cursory, responding to what they perceive as a current hot topic in popular culture.
Now - as has been observed, there’s a lot of serious work going on with VR at the moment and much of it isn’t being discussed outside closed groups. Would CRUMB be an appropriate place to have such a discussion? For example, the potential of AR devices like Hololens for developing context aware memory theatres - something that would likely be of interest to artists and curators.
best
Simon
Simon Biggs
[log in to unmask]
http://www.littlepig.org.uk
http://amazon.com/author/simonbiggs
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staff/homepage.asp?name=simon.biggs
http://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/school-of-art/simon-biggs
> On 24 Aug 2017, at 15:13, Pauline de Souza <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Dear All,
>
> Work is being done in this area but it is not done just by artists. It is done be people who have strong interest in this area. People who are interested in the production etc are working with teams which does include artists. Some material is published but is not open publication. Some publications are in computer journals which are not often read by directors, curators and artists'.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Pauline.
>
> Sent from my Windows Phone
> ________________________________
> From: Kelani Nichole<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: 23/08/2017 18:31
> To:
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]
> C.UK>
> Subject: Re: [NEW-MEDIA-CURATING] the return of VR
>
> Thank you for bringing up this critical issue.
>
> The jargon and misconceptions around simulation technology in the
> artworld is embarrassing. None of these mainstream artists,
> exhibitions and their reviews are addressing the formal qualities of virtual reality.
>
> The implications of 'production' and 'distribution' on a studio
> practice are not even being acknowledged by efforts like this.
>
> Why is 'high-quality' the standard? And where is the historical
> context for these works? Genuine critical interrogation of the medium
> has been happening for decades, but rarely seen.
>
> Much needed work to be done in this space!
>
>
> Best,
> Kelani Nichole
>
> Owner/Director, TRANSFER
> http://transfer.gallery
>
> *June 8th – August 20th at Haus der elektronischen Künste Basel*
> 'Unreal. The Algorithmic Present
> <http://www.hek.ch/programm/events/event/testing-real.html>' featuring
> the TRANSFER Download
>
> *September 9th – October 14th at TRANSFER* 'Behind White Shadows
> <http://transfergallery.com/behind-white-shadows-rosa-menkman/>' a
> solo exhibition from Rosa Menkman *This exhibition is supported by the
> TRANSFER VR Commission
> <http://transfergallery.com/vr/>*
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 1:11 PM, Christiane Paul, Curatorial <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> I couldn't agree more. I keep reminding people of Virtual Reality:
>> An Emerging Medium (https://kimpattersonvirtualre
>> ality2014.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/virtual-reality-an-
>> emerging-medium-1993/) at the Guggenheim in 1993.
>>
>> [https://kimpattersonvirtualreality2014.files.wordpress.com/
>> 2014/10/413_1r110402_003_sep2.jpg?w=1200]<https://kimpatters
>> onvirtualreality2014.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/virtu
>> al-reality-an-emerging-medium-1993/>
>>
>> Virtual Reality: An Emerging Medium (1993) | Virtual Reality in Art<
>> https://kimpattersonvirtualreality2014.wordpress.com/
>> 2014/10/16/virtual-reality-an-emerging-medium-1993/>
>> kimpattersonvirtualreality2014.wordpress.com
>> Intel Digital Education & Arts Program brought Virtual Reality to the
>> public in the Guggenheim Art Museum. The curators were unsure of the
>> response the exhibition would get, but it sold out eve…
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Curating digital art -
>> www.crumbweb.org<http://www.crumbweb.org> <
>> [log in to unmask]> on behalf of Andreas Broeckmann <
>> [log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2017 6:47:12 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: the return of VR
>>
>> friends, do you remember the discussions about the diffusion of "New
>> Media Art" into the mainstream, almost a decade ago, and the
>> entanglements of "Post-Internet Art"?
>>
>> personally i thought that formulations like "some of the highest
>> quality Virtual Reality artworks currently available in the world",
>> "Virtual Reality has made a successful entry onto the global market",
>> "this medium [enables] artists to cross boundaries and expand their
>> field unlike ever before", or "the medium, thus, literally, opens up
>> an entirely new world for both artists and viewers", - would belong
>> to the past, and maybe this announcement is just a glitch on the
>> surface of the post-digital; but it is strange to find such
>> 1996-style, technically affirmative rhetoric on E-Flux...
>>
>> greetings,
>> -a
>>
>> -------- Weitergeleitete Nachricht --------
>> Betreff: Faurschou Foundation Beijing presents Virtual Reality Art
>> Datum: Wed, 23 Aug 2017 04:00:06 -0400
>> Von: e-flux <[log in to unmask]>
>>
>>
>> */Virtual Reality Art/*
>> Christian Lemmerz, Erik Parker, Paul McCarthy, Tony Oursler, Yu Hong
>> August 27, 2017–February 3, 2018
>>
>> *Press preview:* August 26, 3–4pm
>> *Opening:* August 26, 4–7pm
>>
>> *Faurschou Foundation Beijing*
>> Chaoyang Qu
>> 2 Jiuxuanquao Road
>> 100015 Beijing
>> China
>>
>> http://www.faurschou.com
>>
>> Faurschou Foundation is pleased to present some of the highest
>> quality Virtual Reality artworks currently available in the world.
>> The exhibition, /Virtual Reality Art/, will be exhibited in Beijing
>> from August 27, 2017 to February 3, 2018, and will consist of five
>> consecutive “sub-exhibitions” for each participating artist:
>> Christian Lemmerz, Erik Parker, Paul McCarthy, Tony Oursler and Yu Hong.
>>
>> Virtual Reality has made a successful entry onto the global market at
>> an unusually fast pace. In the art world, this medium is entering a
>> ground-breaking period, enabling artists to cross boundaries and
>> expand their field unlike ever before. It is impossible to do justice
>> to Virtual Reality artworks with a mere description, which is why, in
>> order to understand them, one must experience them first-hand. The
>> medium, thus, literally, opens up an entirely new world for both
>> artists and viewers.
>>
>> In collaboration with Khora Contemporary, Faurschou Foundation has
>> worked with several internationally renowned contemporary artists to
>> create Virtual Reality art, namely Christian Lemmerz, Erik Parker,
>> Paul McCarthy and Tony Oursler. With this new exhibition, the
>> Foundation will also reveal a new piece by Chinese artist, Yu Hong.
>> Each artwork will be exhibited for a one-month period with
>> complementary sketches, books and artworks for each of the artists and their respective VR pieces.
>>
>> Faurschou Foundation is glad to continue collaborating with Khora
>> Contemporary after the successful exhibition,/New Media (Virtual
>> Reality)/, in connection to the Venice Biennale 2017. Khora
>> Contemporary was established in 2016 in Copenhagen by five partners
>> with a common passion for art, and a shared vision of Virtual
>> Reality’s significance in the art landscape of the future. Khora
>> Contemporary conducts extensive research on this progressive medium,
>> and specializes in translating the vision of established and emerging
>> artists into the language of VR. This makes Khora Contemporary the
>> first production company to focus on creating contemporary artworks in Virtual Reality.
>>
>> Christian Lemmerz: August 27–September 29, 2017 (Opening August 26)
>> Erik Parker: October 1–27, 2017 (Opening September 30) Paul McCarthy:
>> October 29–November 24, 2017 (Opening October 28) Tony Oursler:
>> November 26, 2017–January 5, 2018 (Opening November 25) Yu Hong:
>> January 7–February 3, 2018 (Opening January 6)
>>
>> *Faurschou Foundation?*
>> Faurschou Foundation is a privately owned art institution with a
>> collection of contemporary art, and with exhibition venues at
>> Copenhagen North Harbour as well as Beijing’s attractive art neighbourhood 798.
>> Faurschou Foundation introduces the visitors to some of the world’s
>> most acclaimed artists. Faurschou Foundation’s collection is
>> constantly developed and expanded.
>>
>> Over a very short period since its establishment in 2011 Faurschou
>> Foundation has profiled itself as a significant art institution with
>> solo exhibitions of among other artists Cai Guo-Qiang, Louise
>> Bourgeois, Shirin Neshat, Gabriel Orozco, Danh Vo, Bill Viola, Ai
>> Weiwei, Yoko Ono and Peter Doig.
>>
>> For further information please contact:
>> English inquiry: Katrine Winther, [log in to unmask]
>> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> / T +45 33914131 Chinese inquiry:
>> Rebecca Yang, [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> /
>> T +86 13146006899
>>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 09:29:40 +0200
From: Andreas Broeckmann <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: the return of VR
I find it interesting how artists like Cecile B. Evans, Sidsel Meineche Hansen, Ed Atkins, etc., use VR as part of their practice and how sometimes the technical aspects of the VR aesthetic are highlighted (like in some reviews of Jon Rafman's piece for the Berlin Biennial last year), while others just take the aesthetics for granted.
How much does, what is happening in the particular art projects today, really have to do with the excited discussions of the 1990s? Same-same?
-a
PS: ... and, earlier this year at HeK in Basel:
The Unframed World. Virtual Reality as artistic medium for the 21st century http://www.hek.ch/en/program/events-en/event/die-ungerahmte-welt.html
Am 24.08.17 um 08:59 schrieb Simon Biggs:
> There’s loads of work going on around the place in this area - including here at the South Australian School of Art.
>
> I wouldn’t take much notice of the announcement of the show in Beijing. Looking at the blurb for the organisation they have a history of bringing in high profile artists. I suspect their primary intention is to promote their brand by association with the artists they commission. Their interest in VR, AR or interactive environments is probably cursory, responding to what they perceive as a current hot topic in popular culture.
>
> Now - as has been observed, there’s a lot of serious work going on with VR at the moment and much of it isn’t being discussed outside closed groups. Would CRUMB be an appropriate place to have such a discussion? For example, the potential of AR devices like Hololens for developing context aware memory theatres - something that would likely be of interest to artists and curators.
>
> best
>
> Simon
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 07:54:03 +0000
From: Pauline de Souza <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: the return of VR
Hi Andrea,
I agree with Simon but the Berlin Biennial only discusses/shows that it discusses from a small circle. I suggest that you re-read my earlier comment before Simon responded if you have not already done so.
Thanks,
Pauline.
Sent from my Windows Phone
________________________________
From: Andreas Broeckmann<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 24/08/2017 08:29
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [NEW-MEDIA-CURATING] the return of VR
I find it interesting how artists like Cecile B. Evans, Sidsel Meineche Hansen, Ed Atkins, etc., use VR as part of their practice and how sometimes the technical aspects of the VR aesthetic are highlighted (like in some reviews of Jon Rafman's piece for the Berlin Biennial last year), while others just take the aesthetics for granted.
How much does, what is happening in the particular art projects today, really have to do with the excited discussions of the 1990s? Same-same?
-a
PS: ... and, earlier this year at HeK in Basel:
The Unframed World. Virtual Reality as artistic medium for the 21st century http://www.hek.ch/en/program/events-en/event/die-ungerahmte-welt.html
Am 24.08.17 um 08:59 schrieb Simon Biggs:
> There’s loads of work going on around the place in this area - including here at the South Australian School of Art.
>
> I wouldn’t take much notice of the announcement of the show in Beijing. Looking at the blurb for the organisation they have a history of bringing in high profile artists. I suspect their primary intention is to promote their brand by association with the artists they commission. Their interest in VR, AR or interactive environments is probably cursory, responding to what they perceive as a current hot topic in popular culture.
>
> Now - as has been observed, there’s a lot of serious work going on with VR at the moment and much of it isn’t being discussed outside closed groups. Would CRUMB be an appropriate place to have such a discussion? For example, the potential of AR devices like Hololens for developing context aware memory theatres - something that would likely be of interest to artists and curators.
>
> best
>
> Simon
------------------------------
End of NEW-MEDIA-CURATING Digest - 23 Aug 2017 to 24 Aug 2017 (#2017-85)
************************************************************************
|
