Beyond Human

VR platform
2020

We joined together with Human Studio to present the Centre for Impossible Media (CIM VR), a bespoke VR exhibition platform for moving image artworks. CIM VR launched with UE VR: Beyond Human, a retrospective exhibition of our moving image artworks presented for the first time in virtual reality.

CIM VR enables visionary artists to take their ideas beyond the boundaries of the physical. It liberates the imagination from the constraints of geography, scale and logistics – instead taking advantage of the uncharted territory and freedom from convention that exist in the fields of virtual exhibition and events production.

CIM VR presents an opportunity for artists to consider their digital artwork and its exhibition environment as one, with immersive virtual architecture that’s tailored to optimise each piece. Environments here are fluid and permeable. They act as much more than a frame, backdrop or white room, allowing creators to escape the rectangle and box that have for so long provided the default structures to artistic display.

Both our studio and Human Studio have explored virtual reality for some time (see our work Inside the Sound and Emergence, and Human’s Virtual Hole in the Road). Events in 2020 accelerated our desire to find alternatives to real-world gallery, museum and theatre spaces – with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on cultural institutions around the world, and the increased accessibility of VR experiences with the release of the relatively low cost Oculus Quest 2 headset.

As CIM VR and the capability of headsets develop, the possibilities for moving image exhibition on the platform are boundless. It will grow to allow artists, designers and producers from the film, fashion, art and music worlds to extend their creative vision and construct the ultimate home for their work. There’s the potential to live-stream fashion shows, immerse fans in a band’s music video, or wrap video around surfaces, objects and even the viewer’s hand. The platform may also enable people to seek out meditative solo art experiences, without the crowds of a physical gallery or museum space. 

We invite artists and creators to collaborate with us and enhance their visions in CIM VR, immersing audiences in tailored, creative virtual worlds.

Credits

Creative direction: Matt Pyke
VR Design and Production: Humanstudio
Sound Design: Simon Pyke