So Art Basel Hong Kong happened last week. But with travel restrictions, curfews and social distancing in place, its organisers abandoned the fairs physical edition: instead, it took place online. According to contemporary art magazine, ARTnews, the galleries that took part in the fair reported steady sales and positive feedback from buyers, despite there being technical glitches because of high traffic when the platform was launched to the public. The online iteration is a sobering remedy to the major disruptions that the coronavirus has wrought on the global art calendar, ARTnews wrote.
With Covid-19 recently reaching South African shores, the local contemporary art scene has slowly begun following suit, beginning with the closure of physical spaces. Last week, the Stevenson art gallery announced that although Thenjiwe Nkosis solo exhibition, Gymnasium, would be on display in its Johannesburg gallery, it would not have a formal opening. The gallery then confirmed that both Stevenson Cape Town and Johannesburg would remain open and operate with a skeleton staff to help with queries, answer phones, and welcome visitors. As well as Gymnasium, the launch of Mawande Ka Zenziles monograph, Uhambo luyazilawula, was also cancelled, after President Cyril Ramaphosa encouraged the public to practice social distancing as a means of hampering the spread of Covid-19.
During an interview about her solo debut, Nkosi mentions how although there were moments of uncertainty about whether to carry on exhibiting work while a pandemic was on the rise she believes that it is important that artists continue to give their art. To ensure that the art gets to the public, Stevenson told the Mail & Guardian that it is looking into teaming up with filmmakers and sharing additional digital content with our mailing lists in order to keep on telling our artists stories.
In addition to video content, a handful of South Africas leading contemporary art spaces are using virtual reality to bring their galleries to remote and isolated audiences. Ive never been busier in my life, sighs Richard Aldous, who, together with Andrew Larsen, co-owns 3D Tours a company that specialises in increasing brands competitive edge by equipping them with digital tools.
Since being set up in 2017, 3D Tours primary service has been creating digital, 3D impressions of existing spaces. The most common type of impression is one created when a space is captured using a sequence of still images or videos. Unlike a conventional video or slideshow of images, this interactive, moving picture continues uninterrupted and allows the viewer navigation agency. Such an impression allows the viewer to take a virtual walk: their view of the space will change as they pan the room.
To execute this, 3D Tours makes use of a 360 camera similar to those seen on the roof of a Google Street View car. When this is complete, the media captured by the camera is placed on an artificial intelligence platform that stitches the 360 imagery or videos together to create the moving, immersive and interactive tour. The artificial intelligence that makes that happen is all housed in Silicon Valley, adds Aldous.
Since its establishment, 3D Tours has developed a rapport with the local contemporary art scene that has seen it working with establishments including BKhz, Absa Art Gallery, the Goodman Gallery, The Bag Factory, Standard Bank Art Gallery, and the annual FNB Art Joburg fair.
Although its work with galleries is what brought 3D Tours to the M&Gs attention, they are only responsible for a portion of its income. The companys other clientele include hotels, lodges, guest houses, schools and retailers. And, during a time where businesses need to find a way of operating under the restrictions of social distancing, 3D Tours biggest clients are galleries and realtors. Apart from galleries, Im expecting a lot of show house days to be cancelled, so I have reached out to a number of estate agents to create virtual show days, Aldous says.
When asked about the safety of 3D Tours employees, Aldous argues that the risk is low because most of the venues that we are scanning are closed to the public or have very few people working on the premises.
As well allowing patrons to immerse themselves virtually in spaces that they cant get to because of self-isolation, 3D Tours can link any web-based content to the virtual tour. In the past few weeks, 3D Tours has developed a way to allow patrons to shop, by linking tours to a shopping cart. Aldous adds that: Its like putting takealot.com together with a mall, from the comfort of your device. This addition, if requested by gallerists, could make it possible for art to be bought online.
Because engagement with Nkosis work doesnt necessarily require a live audience, its easy to assume that social distancing and the use of virtual walkabouts does not have much of an effect on the work of artists such as her. The show will go on and art buyers will still have the opportunity to add her work to their collections whether its through a phone call or the click of a button.
However, Nkosi tells the M&G otherwise. Now that she is focused on painting after working as a teacher and academic who would take on commissions for a number of years an integral part of her practice is engaging patrons about their perceptions. When my work used to involve me engaging the people, it afforded me lateral thinking about how to make social work. Its become too solitary, which is something that I need to shift, said Nkosi.
Theatrical effects
Unlike artists who can use other platforms to attract audiences, virtual reality in South Africa is of no use to theatre practitioners, who still need bums on seats to pay the bills. Last week the chief executive officer of the Market Theatre Foundation, Ismail Mahomed, announced that all activities at the Market Theatre complex in Newtown and the Windybrow Arts Centre in Hillbrow are postponed until further notice. Patrons who have booked for shows can either claim a refund or request their tickets to be deferred to when the government has announced that it is once again safe, said Mahomed.
This includes suspending all contact learning at the Market Theatre Laboratory and the Market Photo Workshop. But since the show must go on, Mahomed says the foundation will shortly announce plans of how [the Market Theatre Foundation] will use livestreaming to continue to keep its audiences engaged. For the time being, it is unclear whether the streaming services will involve a cover charge for audiences who want to tune in.
Even though they werent created with the Covid-19 pandemic in mind, virtual tours almost seem like a perfect response to a widespread demand. As well as making remote engagements with spaces interactive, virtual touring saves time and its geographical reach is unmatched. You can send links globally so people who would otherwise be excluded from seeing a space can now see it, adds Aldous.
But this isnt the only truth. For the most part, online content, such as live-streaming and virtual touring is accessible. However, access to smartphones and the cost of data need to be considered before cultural institutions can start thinking of URL links and .mp4 file attachments as an all-encompassing solution for engaging diverse audiences across the socioeconomic divide.
Continued here:
Covid-19 and virtual reality: The cultural cost of going online - Mail and Guardian
- UNL program using virtual reality to enhance research - KOLN - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- 3D augmented reality with regular glasses | Stanford News - Stanford University News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- LG Display's Research Results on OLEDoS for VR Selected as Distinguished Paper at SID Display Week 2024 - PR Newswire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Full-colour 3D holographic augmented-reality displays with metasurface waveguides - Nature.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Future of Onboarding: Inside Serviceplan's VR-Based Employee Integration | LBBOnline - Little Black Book - LBBonline - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality space experience returns to Silver Street Studios - Houston Chronicle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Rain Technology to Unveil New Anamorphic-XR Optical Engine at Display Week 2024 - Display Daily - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality used as a tool for brain health at assisted living center - Eyewitness News 3 - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual Reality in Gaming Market to Reach US$75 Billion by 2028 - Analytics Insight - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Disney+ to release VR Marvel series exclusively for Apple Vision Pro - CyberNews.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Startup aimed at VR entertainment in cars files for insolvency - PhoneArena - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- After Decades of Promise, the Virtual Reality Era Has Finally Arrived - Kiplinger's Personal Finance - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Hahnville senior signs with virtual reality gaming company - St. Charles Herald Guide - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Sandbox VR Forges Franchise Partnership with Apparel Group to Pioneer Virtual Reality in the Middle East - Business Wire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Best VR games in 2024 - TechRadar - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Researchers rely on Virtual Reality as a complementary therapy for eating disorders - MIXED Reality News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Beyond therapy: Virtual reality shows promise in fighting depression - Medical Xpress - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Apparel Group And Sandbox VR Announce Partnership - Retail & Leisure International - Retail & Leisure International - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Batman returns to VR - theSun - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual Reality Shows Promise in Treating Depression - Neuroscience News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Augmented And Virtual Reality in Manufacturing Market Size, Share And Growth Analysis For 2024-2033 - EIN News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Sandbox VR Announces U.S. Franchise Initiative and International Deal - Franchise Times - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- MINI Mixed Reality Experience: Driving into the Future. - BMW Press - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality project will allow users to witness October 7 first hand - The Jewish Chronicle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Spin Rhythm XD getting PlayStation and VR ports this summer - Niche Gamer - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology use virtual reality headsets in class - Islander News.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- SFU SIAT researcher uses virtual reality to help teen mental health - Simon Fraser University News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Navy Brings Training to the Fleet With VR - ATD - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Manchester Airport launches gaming area with virtual reality escape room Business Traveller - Business Traveller - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Can virtual reality help ease the end of life? - Universit de Montral - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Fans still waiting for a virtual reality view of the Buffalo Bills' new ... - Buffalo News - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Immerse yourself in new, augmented worlds - University of Miami: News@theU - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Who are the leading innovators in vehicle digital twins for the ... - just-auto.com - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- How Virtual and Augmented Reality Are Redefining Construction - TimesTech - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Virtualware Appoints VRARA's John A Cunningham to Advisory Board - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- University Project Aims to Dissolve Borders Between Virtual and ... - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Are real cadavers better than virtual ones? - Slate - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Samsung Glasses could be the name of a new pair of Samsung ... - TechRadar - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The Best Augmented Reality Accessories for AR Immersion - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The best VR apps for 2022 | Digital Trends - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- What is virtual reality? - TechTarget - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Forget the metaverse, Sony's PlayStation VR2 will make you a virtual reality believer again - British GQ - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Time to play! New virtual reality gaming coming to Northern Virginia - WUSA9.com - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Virtual reality training content launched for footwear and leather sector - The Hindu - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Texas A&M researchers are using multisensory virtual reality to help NASA astronauts - KAGSTV.com - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Hollywoods Virtual Reality Guru and American Millionaire Expanded His Soccer Portfolio to Europe With a Deal Worth $940 Million - EssentiallySports - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- TikTok owner ByteDance takes first step into virtual reality with ... - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality inspires students to think about long-term careers - Turn to 10 - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Virtual Reality Arcade with Best VR Game Experiences - Main Event - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality - reddit - November 16th, 2022 [November 16th, 2022]
- The Future Of Virtual Reality (VR) - Forbes - November 16th, 2022 [November 16th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality (VR) For Professional Workflows | NVIDIA - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Virtual reality in fiction - Wikipedia - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Meta will release a new consumer-grade VR headset next year - TechCrunch - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality [VR] Market Size & Share | Forecast Report, 2029 - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality in the Healthcare Industry - VISUALISE - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality - Intel - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Applications Of Virtual Reality - Virtual Reality Society - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- The Global Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality In Manufacturing Market size is expected to reach $27.9 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth... - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- We Met in Virtual Reality Explores the Potential of the Metaverse - Seven Days - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What If the Metaverse Is Better Without Virtual Reality? - WIRED - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- XRHealth and HTC Introduce The First Distraction Therapy Virtual Reality Platform to Improve Patient Experience During Painful or Anxiety Provoking... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Department of Corrections Introduces Virtual Reality Technology to Augment Programming for Incarcerated Parents and Their Children - Pennsylvania... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Arden Bendler Browning conquers virtual reality, Luve More LC + Thinkers Makers Society, and opportunity - theartblog.org - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- How Virtual or Augmented Reality Can Help Your Packaging Line - Packaging Digest - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- A marriage of virtual reality and physical therapy: Immergo Labs emerges from its UCSC roots - Lookout Santa Cruz - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Senior living residents explore the world through virtual reality - Rocky Mountain PBS - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Orthopedic Residency Program and PrecisionOS Team up For Exclusive 3-Year Collaboration: Virtual Reality Development and Curriculum Integration - PR... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- 6 Insightful Construction XR Cases to Read in 2022 - XR Today - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Video footage emerges from an MMA event that put virtual reality users into the thick of the fighting action - Yahoo News - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Carmack: Theres a bunch that Im grumpy about in virtual reality - Ars Technica - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The Peripheral Co-Creator on the Shows Line Between Reality & Virtual Reality - TV Insider - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Clarkson's Dr. Dana Barry Gave a Presentation at International Conference in Italy - Clarkson University News - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Apple VR glove with finger- and hand-tracking patent hints at companion accessories for the "Reality Pro" headset - Notebookcheck.net - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Virtual reality spectacle of 2010 sockeye run returns to Shuswap Salmon Arm Observer - Salmon Arm Observer - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The virtual reality push brings together Microsoft, Meta and the art of war - Stuff - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What Is Virtual Reality All About? - Oculus VR - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- What Is Virtual Reality? | Tech & Learning - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- 10 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Virtual Reality (2022) - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Insights on the Tactile Virtual Reality Global Market Research Report to 2027 - Growing Advancements in Virtual Reality Products & Rising... - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]