Zabludowicz Collection opens London's first permanent VR art space

On January 18, 2018, the Zabludowicz Collection in London will launch 360, the first free, permanent public space dedicated to virtual reality art. The initiative is part of the gallery's broader 360 program, which also includes video and cinema works. The inaugural piece is Rachel Rossin's "I Came and Went as a Ghost Hand (Cycle 2, 2015)." Artistic director Maitreyi Maheshwari stated that VR offers new means for creation and subverts interaction with the environment, allowing images to take on a sculptural nature. The Zabludowicz Collection, founded by philanthropists Anita and Poju Zabludowicz, has spaces in Finland, New York, and London. The London venue, housed in a former Methodist church, celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2017 with a Haroon Mirza exhibition and new commissions in art, architecture, sculpture, and music. The collection's first VR encounter was with Jon Rafman's show in September 2015, which gained international attention for its experimental fusion of real bodily experience and synthetic mental universes. The article also notes the broader VR trend in art, citing examples like the Tate Modern's reconstruction of Modigliani's studio, the Baths of Caracalla and Ara Pacis in Rome, and works by Mat Collishaw, Laurie Anderson, Jeff Koons, and Marina Abramović. Italian artist Carola Bonfili (b. 1981) is currently showing at Smart Polo per l'Arte in Rome, including a VR piece as part of her project "3412 Kafka."