Innovative XR and VR Art Showcased at London’s Liberty Festival
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Celebrating Neurodivergent Art
DYSPLA curated an impressive array of six digital artworks utilizing immersive technologies, including Film, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR), for the Mixed Reality Hub at Deptford Lounge. This showcase was part of the Mayor of London’s Liberty Festival 2022, supported by Arts Council England. The digital art was accessible throughout the festival, drawing considerable interest over the three-day event. The collection featured pre-recorded audio descriptions by VocalEyes, with many films also providing subtitles.
The Liberty Festival is a free, three-day event spotlighting the best works from D/deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent artists across the nation. It stands as a beacon for excellence in both art and accessibility. For numerous attendees, this festival marked their first encounter with immersive technology, as they donned headsets and explored the expressive power of digital art. People of all ages—children and seniors alike—ventured into the DYSPLA enclosure to discover the technology and the poignant narratives crafted by the artists.
The Artists:
Among the neurodivergent and disabled artists showcased at the Mixed Reality Hub were:
- Lindsay Seers & Keith Sargent, who presented their immersive 360-VR film, Care(less) (2019). This piece leverages the surreal aspects of VR to depict the lived experience of aging.
- Natalia Skoveeba’s work, True Stories of Two Mormots (2019), co-written with her six-year-old daughter. This film portrays fictional species in an alien environment, delving into the challenges Natalia faces as a neurodivergent artist, immigrant, woman, and mother.
- D-Fuse showcased their VR film, Intersection—w/ Observatory (2020), which features audio by Gauthier Keyaerts. This VR experience invites viewers to meander through London, engaging in detached observations of time's enigmatic nature.
- Jason Wilsher-Mills contributed Jason & his Argonauts V the System (2021), an interactive VR game that addresses the complexities of Disability Activism and the struggles of accessing disability benefits.
- George Jasper Stone exhibited Save Yourself (2022), a digital video sculpture that explores themes of queer intimacy through the lens of decorative sculpture.
- DYSPLA’s Founder and Creative Director, Lennie Varvarides, along with Kazimir Bielecki, presented their volumetrically captured VR film, Touch (2022). This immersive work comprises 12 individual nine-minute films that explore the experiences of a neurodivergent woman regarding touch and memory.
Audience Reactions
Several attendees were moved to tears by the emotional depth of the presentations. Many resonated with the frustrations depicted in Jason Wilsher-Mills's work regarding PIP funding, or the poignant themes of aging and loss explored in Lindsay Seer and Keith Sargent's piece.
The collection struck a chord with many, who expressed a desire for more time to fully engage with the content, highlighting the hunger for innovative storytelling formats.
The Growth of Immersive Art
Immersive art has gained momentum since the 1960s, coinciding with the creation of the first VR headset in 1968 by computer scientist Ivan Sutherland. The technology became more accessible around 2016, leading to a surge in film festivals featuring VR content. By 2020, the market had reached a valuation of $2.6 billion, making it a prime time for both creators and consumers of VR content. This widespread interest contributed to the positive reception of the DYSPLA collection, which received funding from Arts Council England for tours across London and beyond.
The VR DYSPLA Tour
The tour will visit locations such as Enfield, Manchester, Stoke on Trent, Newcastle, and Liverpool. DYSPLA aims to provide more individuals with the chance to experience free digital art created by neurodivergent artists in communities with limited access to digital art. The VR DYSPLA Tour aspires to introduce immersive storytelling to audiences who may not typically engage with technology or digital art, championing neurodivergent aesthetics and fostering a network of individuals interested in creating digital content.
For further information about DYSPLA's initiatives or the VR tour, please reach out to Lennie at dyspla dot com.
Written by Lennie Varvarides
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