From digital museum guides to holograms on walking tours, virtual reality (VR) tech has long since arrived in the art world as it is possible to climb Mount Everest, visit a museum in New York or dive through a coral reef in the ocean from sofas.
Within this context, the "Virtual Landscapes" exhibition by VR Future to bring virtual reality films to Istanbul, as they will be shown simultaneously around the world and Kadıköy's Müze Gazhane, is a spectacular complex for the arts and science, centered on a renovated historical gasworks building.
The second edition of the exhibition with the title of "Virtual Landspaces" is to take place simultaneously in seven countries, including Türkiye, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea. The exhibition is hosted by VR Future, the platform established by Fahad Rehman and Virgile Mangiavillano in Türkiye to meet art goers free of charge. Award-winning films from this year's VR sections of prestigious film festivals such as Venice, Cannes, Tribeca and Sundance will be featured in the exhibition.
Impressive productions
The nine VR movies featured in the program will be screened in their original language (mostly English), while some of them will be presented with subtitles.
One of the movies, "2nd Step" unveils a VR journey through space from the moon to Mars and beyond. The movie places the spotlight on a traveler who is in the middle of alien, unexplored worlds, far away from the Earth. As he visits some of the most exciting environments of current and future space missions, such as the landing point of Apollo 11, it offers visitors a common experience such as exploring Mars, aka the red planet, which is full of new overtures.
On the other hand, Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's iconic composition of "The Scream" has been recreated for the VR environment. Distorted by horror, the never-to-be-forgotten face that was wrecked with anxiety and the uncertainty of an abnormal state has been a symbol in the world. Based on the painting, "The Scream VR" will help the audience explore the painter's obsessions, employing an interactive and sensory virtual reality experience.
"HanaHana Multi-Bloom," which will be featured in the exhibition, is a multi-user interactive experience that immerses viewers in a surreal universe in which a gleaming sun beats down on a crimson lake and desolate sandy islands populated only with monumental totemic ruins. Emerging from this barren landscape are arms and hands varying in size and skin tones, which bloom and unfurl like flowers. Users can cultivate this bizarre wilderness. They can endlessly sprout new arms and create the most unexpected hallucinatory constructions limited only by one's imagination.
Additionally, "Biolum" is to offer a journey into the uncharted depths of the ocean to discover a fascinating world inhabited by bioluminescent animals. The movie puts the audience in the role of an experienced diver (Rachael) who explores cliffs under the guidance of expedition leader EVA, a renowned marine scientist and mentor. Rachael discovers that luminescent parasites are infecting ocean flora and fauna. When she discovers the shocking truth behind why EVA sent her there, she gets carried away and girds her loins to face a battle with her mind. The movie is dubbed by the voice of the famous actress Charlotte Rampling, who is known for her work in European art house films in English, French and Italian.
Last but not least "In the Land of the Flabby Schnook" takes the viewer on a journey through a magical place seen through the eyes of the heroes. The younger brother asks his older sister how she stopped being afraid of the dark and she draws him into dreamy paintings.