TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR VIRTUALLY REAL
THE WORLD’S FIRST 3D PRINTED VIRTUAL REALITY ART WILL BE PRESENTED BY HTC VIVE™ AND THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS
The first ever 3D printed artwork created in virtually reality (VR) will go on display to the public from 12th – 14th January 2017 (Friends of the RA Preview 11th January 2017), as part of an exclusive project between HTC Vive and The Royal Academy of Arts.
This experiential display will showcase the potential of VR in the visual arts. Visitors will not only be able to see the artworks on display but they will be able to experience the making of each artwork in virtual reality using HTC Vive. Members of the public can walk through, over, under and around the artwork as it is created around them, fully immersing themselves in the process.
The 3D printed sculptures by Royal Academy Schools alumni Adham Faramawy, Elliot Dodd and current final year student Jessy Jetpacks, have been created using Vive. Offering an unrivalled experience due to its real-life graphics, Vive lets you move around and interact in hundreds of virtual worlds with its innovative hand controllers and room-scale tracking. Each artist involved in the project has a history of work involving virtual reality, apps and multi-media, however this will be the first time artwork created in virtual reality has been brought into the physical world. This will be accomplished through the medium of 3D printing and exhibited in a major global art institution.
The artworks themselves have been created using a series of artistic software programs including:
Tilt Brush by Google – an app which lets you paint in three-dimensional space with virtual reality
Kodon by Tenk Labs – a virtual reality sculpting tool
After completing the exhibition, budding artists can then try their own hand at creating masterpieces in VR using these same virtual reality programs that were used in the exhibition.
Mark Hampson, Head of Fine Art Processes, Royal Academy Schools, said: “As a 21st century art school the exciting emergence of new technologies for art production is paramount in our thinking at the RA Schools. We are delighted to be collaborating with HTC Vive on this innovative project, which will extend our knowledge into the relatively unchartered territories for works of art using virtual and digital means, offering us the chance to not only experiment with virtual head set technology but to become pioneers in the production of 3D sculptural forms created from virtually generated imagery. The artists selected for this collaboration represent an emerging generation who are perfectly equipped to investigate the possibilities for an art rooted in the virtual world. Their use of hybrid approaches, that utilise both traditional and future forms, enables them to manipulate technologies both with and against their intended commercial functions. The work they produce will signpost us to unexpected future creative outcomes and new universes of artistic possibility, helping mould the identity of future art school creativity.”
Peter Frolund, VP of VR (Europe) at HTC said: “We’re very excited to open this world-first project to the public through our partnership with the Royal Academy of Arts. The artists have created some truly unique pieces that visitors can not only view in virtual reality, but observe and interact with during the creation process. We see this project as the first step in illustrating what can be achieved when the virtual and physical worlds of art are combined, and hope to inspire future creative concepts.”
Please note a limited number of tickets are available for visitors to take part in Virtually Real and must be pre-booked in advance.
Tickets are £45.00. Ticket price includes an immersive evening of virtual reality art and one complimentary drink. Tickets and further information can be found online at www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/project-virtually-real
Opening Hours
Friends of the RA Preview: Wednesday 11 January 2017
Open to the public: Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 January 2017
7 – 11pm (last ticketed admission 10.40pm)
