VR Salon: Immersive Realities

Artists have always been at the forefront of using technological advancements to find new ways to express themselves and question the prevalent aesthetics of their times. Virtual and Augmented Reality are among the latest technological advancements and instantly drew attention from artists, creators, and innovators. Taking place from January 12 to February 11, 2019 at Tokyo Arts and Space the VR Salon: Immersive Realities exhibition explored the idea of these new immersive media as a tool for a new form of artistic expression.

In collaboration with the Phi Centre, Montreal, which has been actively exploring these new avenues in the past 3 years, the exhibition aimed to go beyond the manifested image of VR as an extension of the video game world, all so present in Japan. By showcasing pioneering works that are fully captivating and engaging their audiences through these immersive realities the exhibition sought to open up understandings of Virtual Reality as an artistic medium.

By partnering with TOKAS, the aspiration was to curate a global exhibition, which featured a wide-range of artists hailing from Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, to Tokyo. By confronting the local Japanese audience with these diverse perspectives and applications of VR the exhibition sought to showcase the power of this immersive medium and initiate a dialogue about its future potentials.

VR Salon: Immersive Realities featured seven audiovisual and storytelling artworks from around the globe.

Presented works:

Can Büyükberber (TR) — Morphogenesis VR

Felix & Paul (CA/QC) — Through the Masks of Luzia

Flight School Studio (US) — Manifest 99

Hiroaki Umeda (JP) — Intensional Particle VR

Marshmallow Laserfeast (UK) — In the Eyes of the Animal

Synichi Yamamoto Seiichi Sega & Intercity-Express (JP) — Noesis VR

Theodore Ushev (CA) — Blind Vaysha

About OPEN SITE 2018-2019

OPEN SITE is a program aimed at creating a platform that brings together a full range of projects seeking to create new forms of expression across all genres, open to society. In this third year of the program, in addition to our past exhibition and performance projects, we have newly established OPEN SITE dot for small experimental projects. After rigorous review, nine projects have been selected, including exhibitions, performance works, theater works and more, from numerous applications from Japan and overseas. Moreover, a total of 11 projects will be implemented including the TOKAS Recommendation Program and educational programs. As the cross-genre and interdisciplinary nature of art continues to evolve, you can rely on us to host programs of ambitious self-expression, of free and powerful artistic will, without being constrained by existing genres.

About Tokyo Arts and Space

Tokyo Arts and Space(TOKAS) is an art center dedicated to the generation and promotion of new art and culture from the heart of Tokyo. Based in TOKAS Hongo and TOKAS Residency, TOKAS supports and nurtures young talent in all fields as well as takes a role as a hub in a global cultural network of affiliated cultural facilities in Japan and abroad, and at once a platform for both new talents and internationally active artists to exchange and showcase their works. Through various joint programs, the two venues will continue their broad array of artistic activities in order to provide artists with a stage for creative work.