Two great artists such as Marina Abramović and Anish Kapoor have also turned to virtual reality: one by realising the project Rising; the other In Yourself - Fall. The two shared their experience, presenting their works and their thoughts on the artistic potential of the medium in a lively conversation on Tuesday 6 March at the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London.
Both projects were discussed at the RA before their official premiere at Art Basel - Hong Kong later this month. According to Abramović, Rising is a ‘work in progress’ that brings the viewer into a stormy polar landscape and face to face with the artist's avatar in a glass display case. The viewer can decide that the water in the display case rises above his avatar's head, causing him to drown or, conversely, commit to caring for the planet, causing the water level to drop and saving the avatar.
Kapoor's VR work, In Yourself - Fall simulates a vertiginous, sometimes gory, descent into the human body, making the experience more ‘visceral’ than currently possible. ‘The technology is good but it's not good for subtlety,’ he said, adding that it still has a cartoonish quality and lacks realism. Asked if he had continued working in the medium, Kapoor replied with a cautious ‘yes’.
via Artnet.com
