Even before the lockdown, artists, museums and galleries were embracing virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree film technology to make art, and also to create digital museum and gallery tours and make collections more accessible.

These moves have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many institutions are attempting to stimulate not just the experience of viewing art, but also the sense of activism and belonging that they can cultivate in their communities through innumerable activities and initiatives. Institutions all over the world are taking creative approaches and experimenting with creating “museums at home”, as well as mobilizing around hashtags such as #MuseumFromHome and #MuseumMomentofZen, both of which strive to engage the public using social media channels.

Nevertheless, the “digital museum” presents challenges. How can artists and institutions create an immersive “museum experience” at home? How can VR create democratic possibilities for artists to reach beyond traditional structures and help people tackle physical isolation? Will COVID-19 usher in a renaissance for VR and help make it mainstream? Talking Virtual Reality: Recreating the Museum Experience will look to address these questions.

Join András Szántó, Writer, Researcher and Consultant, Anita Zabludowicz, Founder, the Zabludowicz Collection, Paul McCarthy, Artist, Masha and Jens Faurschou, Co-Founders Khora Contemporary, Dominique and Sylvain Levy, Co-Founders, the dslcollection, and Joel Kremer, Partner, MOYOSA Media, Director, the Kremer Collection, and Co-Founder, the Kremer Museum. They will discuss the latest issues around making, collecting and showing VR art, building immersive environments and making the technology accessible to all.

Anita Zabludowicz opened 360: Virtual Reality Room, the first dedicated VR space in an art institution in the UK, in 2018. It has become an important element within the Zabludowicz Collection, which mounts free, cutting-edge exhibitions in north London.

Masha and Jens Faurschou launched Khora Contemporary, created to be a bridge between artists and VR developers, at the Venice Biennale in 2017. They presented a provocative, multimedia work by American artist Paul McCarthy, C.S.S.C. Coach Stage Stage Coach VR experiment Mary and Eve, 2017, which was subsequently shown in collaboration with the Zabludowicz Collection.

Dominique and Sylvain Levy founded dslcollection, focusing on contemporary Chinese art, in 2005 and launched a virtual museum in 2017.

Joel Kremer is a partner at MOYOSA Media, which creates digital experiences, and directs the Kremer Museum, which shows more than 70 Dutch and Flemish old master paintings in a virtual museum. #MIGHTYMASTERS Art Program launched by the Kremer Museum is designed to make art accessible and fun for children around the world. It does this by equipping schools with VR hardware and setting up programs to provide access to the Kremer Museum, free of charge.