MoMI LAB Opens 2,400-Sq-Ft Spatial Computing Studio in Queens

In Queens, New York, the Museum of the Moving Image has unveiled MoMI LAB, a 2,400-square-foot studio and exhibition area crafted by Ralph Appelbaum Associates in collaboration with Lopergolo & Bartling Architects. Situated on the museum's lower level, this versatile space utilizes cutting-edge digital technologies like neural radiance fields (NeRFs), 3D Gaussian splatting, and projection mapping, allowing for the transformation of traditional galleries into interactive settings that blend digital and physical realms. The lab's first artist-in-residence is media artist Rachel Rossin, who merges conventional painting with virtual reality to explore the nuances between tangible and virtual spaces. Open to the public at no cost during regular museum hours, MoMI LAB has received over $5 million in support from New York State officials, including Michael Gianaris, Kristen Gonzalez, and Zohran K. Mamdani. This initiative seeks to make creative technology accessible by integrating artists-in-residence into a public educational framework, fostering digital literacy through workshops, open studio sessions, and hackathons.