Virtual Galleries: Interview with Dario Buratti of VR Cult

In the second installment of a series on virtual reality in exhibitions, Dario Buratti, founder of VR Cult, discusses the growing interest from artists, galleries, and institutions like the Quadriennale di Roma in operating within virtual spaces. He cites notable Italian examples such as Marina Bellini's projects on Second Life for MiC (Musei in Comune di Roma) and Patrick Moya's experiments. Buratti highlights his own current exhibition space on Sansar, featuring works by Musante and Matteo Guariso, with architecture by himself and curation by Bellini. He also co-founded Dogma VR Factory on Sansar, set to host solo shows by Barry William Hale, Saturno Buttò, and Miguel Angel Martin. Buratti notes significant progress in VR devices and social VR platforms over the past decade, offering deeper immersion and realism. He believes interactive virtual worlds will become more widespread than non-interactive tours, provided the concept of immersiveness is better communicated. He advocates for mixed-reality experiences blending real and virtual visitors, citing MOYA's experiments and a 2011 crossover by Moioli in Brera. For non-interactive galleries, Unity is common, but Unreal Engine is a viable alternative. The most suitable virtual worlds for exhibition spaces are Second Life, Sansar, and Sinespace. Buratti predicts VR headsets like Oculus will become mainstream only when miniaturized and ergonomically improved, remaining niche until Augmented Reality fully enters the market.