Virtual Reality: the possibility and peril of immersive artwork

How can we use virtual reality systems to create powerful, beautiful and socially engaged artworks? Is it possible to use technically sophisticated (and sometimes frustrating) tools to share our unique personal visions? What can working in virtual reality teach us about our embodied reality and sense of presence? How might we question the hype and techno-utopianism surrounding VR, by using the medium itself? What is left out of the current conversation around VR that you would like to explore?In this introductory studio art course, students will learn to create artworks using virtual reality systems. We will use the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Daydream VR headsets, as well as more accessible phone-based augmented reality systems to explore this medium. Through lectures and research presentations, we will familiarize ourselves with the artistic history of VR - from foundational works from the 1990's through current examples - in order to inform our own work. Students will become familiar with the fundamental studio art practice of analyzing and critiquing their own and others' projects. Learning to analyze artwork in turn helps students create works with more emotional and conceptual impact. While there are no official prerequisites for this course, familiarity with any kind of scripting language or coding environment will be helpful as Unity will be used as the main authoring environment.