Tate Modern – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

May 3, 2018

Jordan Wolfson: ‘This is real abuse – not a simulation’

Creepy and vengeful, Wolfson’s puppet boy is violently smashed to the floor at Tate Modern – then threatens to fight back. But is the controversial US artist just yanking our chain?

In a room at Tate Modern, a boy is getting beaten up. He has a chain fixed to the top of his head, another attached to an arm, a third to a leg. As I watch, computer operatives sitting next to me press buttons, activating cranes that pull the chains taut. He spins into the air, limbs fly out, the torso swivels upside down. The chains loosen, he smacks into the ground. Then music kicks in over loudspeakers. Percy Sledge is ardently, if grotesquely inappropriately, singing When a Man Loves a Woman.

The boy is an animatronic puppet, slightly larger than life, with glossy red hair and loose limbs like the 1950s American TV cowboy puppet Howdy Doody. His gap teeth and leering eyes reference Mad magazine’s Alfred E Neuman, his ragged trousers Huckleberry Finn.

The animatronic boy takes such a thrashing he has to have new body parts transplanted regularly

I'm no moralist trying to shock people into behaving better … Really, I don't care about your interpretation

December 13, 2017

Tate Modern’s ‘Modigliani VR: The Ochre Atelier’ Experience Comes to Viveport

HTC has now published the Modigliani VR experience, The Ochre Atelier, on Viveport. As a focal point at the Modigliani exhibition currently still in rotation at Tate Modern in London, the experience takes you to the early 20th century Parisian studio of famous painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani.

While Modigliani’s ‘final’ studio still exists in Paris, its appearance has changed significantly over the course of 100 years. To recreate the studio in VR as it was in 1919, London-based developers Preloaded partnered with experts from Tate, whom were armed with extensive research on the subject matter.

Preloaded calls the at-home version a “longer, exploratory version,” in comparison to the experience at Tate. Drawing on extensive archival material and new research surrounding Modigliani, the experience tells his story in a way a simple audio guide and informational placard never could. The Ochre Atelier is now available for download on Viveport here for $2.99.

“You get that sort of gut feeling understanding that you don’t necessarily get from reading about it, or just looking at it in 2D pictures,” said Hilary Knight, Tate’s Head of Digital Content.

“Understanding art is about understanding the painter, the paintings, and also the historical and social contexts. The opportunity we have with virtual reality, and for this experience, has been to try to deliver that in a very short experience that gets you really close to those details,” said Phil Stewart, Creative Director at Preloaded.

As the result of a HTC’s multi-million dollar VR initiative VIVE Arts program, which aims to support content, creators and institutions embracing VR in the arts, The Ochre Atelier is only one of many VR projects. Vive headsets have made their way to exhibitions at museums including London’s Royal Academy of Arts, Taipei’s National Palace Museum, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, Washington D.C.’s Newseum, and St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum.

The Modigliani VR experience can still be viewed at Tate Modern’s Modigliani exhibition until April 2, 2018. You can check out upcoming Vive Art installations here.

The post Tate Modern’s ‘Modigliani VR: The Ochre Atelier’ Experience Comes to Viveport appeared first on Road to VR.

December 6, 2017

HTC Vive Partnership with Tate Modern Immerse Art Lovers into Modigliani’s World

Since the consumer launch of the HTC Vive in 2016, Vive has been working on trying to find ways of integrating the new technology into various forms of culture and art. The Vive Arts Program started in 2015 in partnership with the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) with Virtually Real exhibition. The project invited contemporary artists to experiment and create work in virtual reality (VR) that would eventually be 3D printed and showcased to the public. Vive also worked with British artist Mat Colliwshaw on his VR exhibition Thresholds that ran at the Somerset House, London. Vive hasn’t only participated with artists in London, but has also partnered with the National Palace Museum in Taipei to educate and provide access to the museums in remote regions.

Vive Art img1 Announced back in June this year, Vive have also partnered with Tate Modern on bringing VR to Tate Modern’s highly anticipated Modigliani exhibition. VRFocus spoke to Paul Brown, the General Manage of HTC Vive Europe about the immersive experience in the center of the Modigliani exhibition at Tate Modern.

The Modigliani exhibition runs from the 23rd November 2017, until 2nd April 2018, so for art lovers who have always wanted to try VR or for the youngsters dragged to museums by their parents – there is an opportunity to be immersed into the world of Italian artist Modigliani. The exhibition is the most comprehensive Modigliani exhibition ever held in the UK, bringing togetehr his iconic portraits, sculptures and the largest ever group of nudes to be shown in the UK. Although Modigliani died tragically young, he was a ground-breaking artist who pushed the boundaries of art at his time. Including 100 works – many of them rarely exhibited and nearly 40 of which have never been shown in the UK – the exhibition re-evaluates one of the greatest artist of the twentieth century.

Whilst perusing through the gallery and rooms, one will find VR experience The Ochre Atelier set up by Vive. Nine HTC Vive head-mounted displays (HMDs) will bring a user to Modigliani’s original studio in Paris in 1919. The nine to ten minute guided experience features various quotes, and bits of information about Modigliani’s life, his paintings and eventually painting a picture of what led to his tragic death. This is the first time Tate Modern has showcased any VR technology. The seated experience is the result of five months of mapping and rigorous historical research, the space, its interiors and objects. Tate selected VR studio Preloaded to create the experience. Each of the over 60 objects featured in The Ochre Atelier has been carefully research and authentically modelled by 3D artist and modellers, from a packet of cigarettes to the way the windows would have opened to let the light in. Two late works, Jeane Hebuterne 1919 and Self-portrait 1919 have been reconstructed at the Tate in collaboration with colleagues at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art, University of Sao Paulo.

Brown says this is the first time they’ve helped create a piece of content that is integrated into an experience to enhance the life of the artist. He also says The Ochre Atelier will be available for HTC Vive users via the Viveport, in December 2017. This will be a roomscale and much longer experience that will allow users to interact with various objects in the room. Admission is £19.70 GBP (without donation £17.70), concession tickets are £17.90 (without donation £15.90). The Modigliani exhibition is open daily from 10.00-18.00 and until 22.00 on Friday and Saturday. Or if one owns an HTC Vive, one can simply wait for the experience to be available on Viveport.

To find out more about the Vive Arts Program watch the video below. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest installations from Vive.

November 22, 2017

Modigliani VR Comes to Tate Modern

In an effort to promote virtual reality (VR) to as wide a field as possible, HTC Vive announced back in June that its was collaborating with Tate Modern in London, UK, on an exhibition celebrating the work of artist Modigliani. The Tate has now launched its highly anticipated Modigliani exhibition ahead of the official public opening tomorrow.

Set to be the most comprehensive Modigliani (1884-1920) exhibition ever held in the UK, Tate Modern brings together a dazzling range of his iconic portraits, nudes and sculptures.

The VR experience The Ochre Atelier, is a reimagining of Modigliani’s studio in Paris, allowing visitors to see where the artist lived and worked during the final months of his life. The VR room comprises nine HTC Vive head-mount displays (HMDs), right in the centre of the exhibition, where guests can listen to narrated first-hand accounts from Modigliani’s friends and commentary from Tate’s experts. Each of the over 60 objects featured in The Ochre Atelier has been carefully researched and authentically modelled by 3D artists and modellers at Preloaded, from a packet of cigarettes to the way the windows would have opened to let in light.

ModiglianiVR_op3

Frances Morris, Director, Tate Modern said in a statement: “We are thrilled to be working with VIVE to bring a new and exciting digital experience to our visitors. We are always looking to push creative boundaries and we think this will be a fantastic opportunity to give the public a different and in-depth understanding of this much-loved artist through new technology.”

“We’re proud to be partnering with Tate Modern on the next project of our Vive Arts program, which empowers artists to create and consumers to experience art and culture in new ways with HTC Vive,” said Joel Breton, VP of Vive Studios. “Modigliani VR: The Ochre Atelier challenges the way we interpret the work and influences of an artist through virtual reality, and marks an exciting step forward for technology’s role in enriching the narrative of gallery exhibitions.”

Tate Modern’s Modigliani exhibition will be open to the public from 23rd November 2017 – 2nd April 2018. For any further updates keep reading VRFocus.

November 9, 2017

HTC Announces Multi-million Dollar Vive Art Initiative, Bringing VR to Museums Worldwide

HTC announced a new multi-million dollar VR initiative aiming to support content, creators and institutions that embrace VR not only as an artistic medium itself, but as a way to better immerse users in all forms of art. The company aptly calls the program VIVE Arts.

HTC says in a blogpost announcing the program, that Vive Arts was created to help cultural institutions fund and develop VR installations that furthers education of the arts across the globe. As a happy side effect, some of that content will also be made available on Viveport, Vive’s digital marketplace.

HTC has a history of partnering with museums worldwide since the launch of Vive in 2016, helping to engage the public in VR-accessible art and immersing them in the artists’ world through unique experiences. Vive headsets have made their way to exhibitions at museums including London’s Royal Academy of Arts, Taipei’s National Palace Museum, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, Washington D.C.’s Newseum, and St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum.

Now the company is facilitating its next project in London for Tate Modern’s major upcoming exhibition, Modigliani, opening on November 23rd. The VR portion of the exhibition draws on extensive archival material and new research surrounding painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani, and tells his story in a way a simple audio guide and informational placard never could; from the heart of early 20th century Paris. Called The Ochre Atelier: Modigliani VR Experience, ticketed museum-goers can go through the experience for free, although Tate Modern says there’s limited capacity, so free tickets must be collected on the day of your visit on a first come, first-serve basis. You can book tickets here.

“With the launch of Vive Arts, we are driving Virtual Reality’s influence in art and providing access to our world’s cultural heritage. We are empowering artists to create, and consumers to experience and interpret, art and culture in new ways,” said Joel Breton, vice president, VIVE Studios. “We are thrilled for the next Vive Arts’ project with Tate Modern, and support their mission to increase the public’s enjoyment and understanding of international modern and contemporary art.”

You can check out upcoming Vive Art installations here.

The post HTC Announces Multi-million Dollar Vive Art Initiative, Bringing VR to Museums Worldwide appeared first on Road to VR.

June 26, 2017

Tate Modern’s Modigliani Exhibition to Feature a HTC Vive VR Experience

HTC Vive is constantly striving to expand the virtual reality (VR) field, whether that’s by supporting startups through the Vive X programme or finding innovative uses to get the public engaged. Today the company has announced a collaboration with Tate Modern, the art gallery based in London, UK, bringing VR to its upcoming Modigliani exhibition later this year.

The exhibition is set to feature an integrated VR experience using HTC Vive, were visitors journey into the artist’s world, recreating elements of early twentieth century Paris. Drawing on archival material as well as new research, the experience will showcase the artist and his work in new ways.

HTC Vive hardware render

Modigliani moved to Paris in 1906 from Italy, transforming his work. Exhibition attendees can delve into the surroundings that shaped his art, revealing a fresh perspective into Modigliani’s life and influences.

Paul Brown, GM for HTC Vive, Europe said in a statement: “We are delighted to be partnering with Tate Modern on this ground-breaking exhibition. At the start of the 20th century, Modigliani was a pioneering force in art innovation, pushing boundaries and new possibilities which inspired his peers and contemporaries. At Vive, we see something similar at the start of the 21st century with VR, and with Vive we want to revolutionise the way people create and experience art. Our relationship with Tate is another step towards bringing people closer to art than ever before.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Vive to bring a new and exciting digital experience to our visitors. We are always looking to push creative boundaries and we think this will be a fantastic opportunity to give the public a different and in-depth understanding of this much-loved artist through new technology,” added Frances Morris, Director, Tate Modern.

This isn’t the first time HTC Vive has partnered with art venues, with previous collaborations including: The Venice Biennale, Somerset House, and the Royal Academy of Arts.

Tate Modern’s Modigliani exhibition will be open to the public from 23rd November 2017 – 2nd April 2018. For any further updates keep reading VRFocus.