The Past Futures with Virtual Reality

At VIVE Arts, we work with institutions throughout the entire creative process, from the initial idea through to research and development to the actual hardware and physical exhibition of an immersive experience. In this case, we approached Triennale Milano with the idea of creating a VR experience, as we were excited by the creative potential of using this medium to reflect on the world of design and the museum’s fascinating collection. We collaborated with Triennale Milano’s team who led the curatorial direction and once the concept was confirmed, we connected them to local Milan based creative studio, Reframe Productions. We have extensive experience working with both curators and developers. For 1923: Past Futures, were able to draw on our past projects with international museums such as the Louvre in Paris and Tate Modern in London, advising on how best to bring the Triennale Milano’s vision to life, in a way that made sense in VR and was engaging and exciting for audiences.

The ever-expanding range of digital tools and mediums available to institutions offer limitless creative opportunities, particularly as we move into the Web3 era, making the creation and exploration of virtual worlds even more seamless. As in 1923: Past Futures, immersive technologies can be used to add new dimensions to an exhibition or collection, presenting research or archival materials in an active and engaging way, to deepen viewers’ relationship to the subject matter. In 1923: Past Futures, we have interactive features, for example where viewers can throw balloons at the Palazzo dell’Arte in 1968, taking part in the protest. We’ve seen several institutions explore games as a way to appeal to different audiences and immersive technologies can create experiences that are visually ground-breaking and exciting, as well as fun and playful. 

We often work with institutions to use digital innovation to reach beyond their physical walls and widen access to culture and heritage. In addition to hosting immersive experiences online, these pieces can be easily toured and shared with other institutions and organizations around the world where they can be enjoyed by different communities. With this in mind, institutions can also use VR as a tool for conservation and preservation, creating replicas of delicate artworks and objects in the digital realm, which audiences can see and learn about wherever they are in the world, without the risk of moving and damaging the originals. 

We are supporting institutions to explore a number of experimental and innovative approaches, including building their own virtual exhibitions and museums in the metaverse and using blockchain to share their masterpieces and expand their online communities. We are excited to see what is next!

1923: Past Futures can be experienced alongside the 23rd International Exhibition at Triennale Milano until 11 December but viewers will be able to enjoy it forever online. As the VR experience is presented in different chapters, there is the opportunity to continue to expand and add new content, delving deeper into the Triennale Milano’s archives or looking forward to the future.