World's first virtual reality art exhibition to take place in Jersey

Monday 21 August 2017

Jersey will be at the forefront of virtual reality next month as the island hosts Flux Zero, the world's first virtual reality art exhibition, at Liberty Wharf.

Taking place on 16 September, Flux Zero will mix virtual reality, creative art and experiential events to allow artists and visitors to "step into a dream world where there are no limits."

The event was carefully crafted by the teams behind digital marketing company Snap.je and Virtual Reality Jersey. The two companies were offered a year's free membership as well as desk space at the Digital Jersey Hub after winning a competition sponsored by NatWest. While the two men behind them hadn't met before the competition, they sat down at the Hub and started throwing ideas around. From their conversations came the idea of holding the first virtual reality art exhibition to put Jersey at the forefront of technology.

Flux Zero was designed as a two-part event that will take visitors into an infinite universe without laws and boundaries. First, a public exhibition featuring the work of 10 local artists - Abi Overland, Sam Carney, Danny Romeril, Will Romeril, Oli Nightingale, Will Bertram, Kerry-Jane Warner, Bora, Kumo and Sam Bullock - will be held at Unit 16 at Liberty Wharf from 10:00 to 16:00.

Pictured: The poster for Flux's event, which promises to be the world's first VR art exhibition.

The exhibition will present original pieces created by the artists using virtual reality tools. The pieces will be displayed in three different formats at Liberty Wharf, in a virtual reality booth to allow visitors to step into the paintings, as a projection to see every brush stroke being added to the piece and finally as physical 2D prints and 3D models.

Zero, Flux's organisers virtual persona, says: "We gave them access to six different tools to use, from spray painting to 3D brushes or model painting. We asked them to create a piece with their existing style with a virtual twist on it. It has been amazing to see what they came up with, the standard has been incredible. Watching them work in the virtual world and seeing them get so excited about it that they got tangled up in the wires was also very entertaining."

While Zero says some artists were a bit hesitant about the concept of virtual reality being brought into the creative realm, illustrator Will Bertram said he was excited about the idea. He enjoyed the experience, and the freedom that goes with virtual reality, so much that he is now saving for his own headset.

Pictured: Will Bertram and the piece he created for Flux using a 3D painting virtual reality application.

He told Express: "My main concern was learning the programme, but after an induction with Zero and then an hour of fiddling around with it, I was up and running. It feels like normal painting except that you have to think about what's around you and you have an 'undo' button. It made me think more about layering my work and how to give it more depth." 

Following the exhibition, a themed event will open for a select few. There are only 150 tickets available at the price of £1,000 each. Some invitations and discount codes are flying around but they are running out fast, with a third of the tickets already sold. "They are hot properties," says Zero. "This will be the first time in the world a virtual reality art exhibition is showcased to the public. It is great for Jersey!" The evening will include themed cocktails and technical clothing in order to blur the lines between what's real and virtual.

The pop-up event has already gained the support of Digital Jersey and ArtHouse Jersey. Tony Moretta, CEO of Digital Jersey, commented: “Virtual Reality is one of the latest technologies to bring both disruption and opportunity to traditional industries. For example, the use of Virtual Reality in treating patients with phobias, or allowing architects to provide VR walkthroughs of a building, is transforming the commercial and consumer experience. Digital Jersey is delighted to support this event, bringing together artists with technologists to encourage the development of new skills and new business ideas.” 

Tom Dingle, Director of ArtHouse, said: “ArtHouse Jersey is committed to supporting the development of new creative work and we see virtual reality both as an exciting tool in the making process, and of course as a growing platform to showcase and share experiences. We were immediately excited about the immersive potential presented by this fast-growing technology. It illustrates the symbiotic benefits of artists and technologists collaborating on innovative content. With the Virtual Reality Jersey and Snap.je teams behind it here in the Island, we hope that this will be a taster of great things to come!”