A Virtual Reality Exhbtn: Enter Through the Headset 2

About

Gazelli Art House presents ‘Enter Through the Headset 2’, the second part of the ground breaking, annual, virtual reality experience at the gallery. Artists Gibson & Martelli, Jocelyn Anquetil, Matteo Zamagni, Iain Nicholls and Rebecca Allen explore themes relating to the natural environment while simultaneously connecting the digital and virtual worlds to our physical space. Each of the artists has previously exhibited in our pioneering Digital Art House gazell.io with the exception of Rebecca Allen who’s residency will run parallel to the exhibition this September.

Virtual Reality as an art form is currently at the forefront of public interest and it’s focus lies in highlighting the blurred boundaries between real, virtual and augmented experiences.

“The intention of this show is to continue exploring non-traditional mediums in art, helping artists work within this field by creating a sustainable exposure and nurturing the cross-over between technology and art – a growing area of interest for the gallery over the past two years,” says

-Mila Askarova, Founding Director of Gazelli Art House.

Matteo Zamagni’s dynamic film Nature Abstraction recently appeared in New York on Times Square’s electronic billboards and this September Matteo Zamagni once again challenges human perception, meeting the listener or beholder in a reimagined, reactive reality with his new digitally composed work. ‘Terra’which debuted at Art Night is first of a series of iterations on the exploration of real-time environments for live art performances.

Gibson/Martelli’s MAN A VR explores the relationship between figure and landscape, pulling the viewer into the virtual reality space where a cocktail of movement can be explored and experienced. Add this to the forming and re-forming of camouflage shapes and patterns and you are left fully immersed in this exciting exploration of the VR realm.

Following on from Jocelyn Anquetil’s and Charles Harrop-Griffiths’s collaboration; PORTAL_01 is an elaboration on the story of  PORTAL_00, a second chapter which explores the initial themes more deeply as well as following new pathways and concepts. Creative methods  have been adapted and developed, introducing further collaborations with other artists. Methods such as 2D drawings, video art together with animations have been created with both digital and analogue methods and also includes sourced video material from archival footage and CCTV. The portal projects are storytelling experiences that explore subjectivity surrounding the evolving human relationship with technology. The installation will be shown in a PORTAL_00 (an office tiolet).

Iain Nicholls leads the viewers through the landscape of The Old Mine at Hemingfield. Using photogrammetry of the real world Nicholls creates a fused dialogue between the real and virtual platforms. This fusion is a key focus for the artist who also manipulates light and sound to create this fully immersive, historical experience. The installation is narrated by the poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan and programming and interactive design was facilitated by Tom Szirtes and his company Mbryonic.

Rebecca Allen’s latest virtual reality work, The Tangle of Mind and Matter, is inspired by the centuries-old, philosophical conundrum concerning the relationship between mind and matter. As the subject involves both philosophy and neuroscience, the artist has utilised the realm of virtual reality to explore her understanding of reality and self. Her work is presented in a poetic representation, and the title draws from a song lyric by the famed poet and musician Leonard Cohen.

Notes To Editors:

Gibson / Martelli‘s world of virtual reality piece ‘Golem’, (currently on show as part of the ‘Strangelands’ mixed exhibition at the Collyer Bristow Gallery) which refers to the ancient Jewish mythical creature, magically animated from clay, a digital image compiled from hundreds of screenshots created by 3d software, emerging from the process of moulding an avatar.  Also Gibson/ Martelli’s WAHAAEAO – (We Are Here And We Are Everywhere At Once) is a moving image installation created by an international collaboration. Russell Scoones (NZ) creates compositions sourced from sound harvested in physical environments. Carol Brown (NZ) specialises in the creation of collaborative choreographic events. Ruth Gibson and Bruno Martelli (UK) playfully address the position of the self in relation to technology, examining ideas of player, performer and visitor, intertwining familiar tropes of video games and art traditions of figure & landscape.

Matteo Zamagni recently participated in Art Night 2017’s Associate Programme; The Garden of Virtual Utopias saw Thomas More Square transformed into an immersive digital art experience, blending art and technology with the urban space.

Iain Nicholls has worked with the local museums and heritage trusts in researching and fundraising for his project, bringing Ian McMillan on board as well as designing and creating all the artwork. Tom and his company Mbryonic is credited in the project for programming, interactive design and audio.

Rebecca Allen’s work was shown earlier this year at Gazelli Art House in London  (January 12 – February 26, 2017). She also participated in ‘Moving Image’ New York  (February 27 – March 2, 2017).