SPOTLIGHT ON: The V&A's first VR event

The Victoria and Albert Museum launched its first virtual reality (VR) event in October this year. It is an experience based on Icelandic artist Kristjana Williams' specially commissioned illustrations. The V&A teamed up with digital consultancy HTC Vive Arts to develop the initiative.

The VR event coincided with the release of tickets for the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition. It provides a preview of the whole exhibition, which opens to the public next year, on 27 March 2021. Greenway Associates are proud to have worked as the Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager for this incredible project.

Tickets are £20 and are on sale now on the V&A website.

A still from Curious Alice VR experience.

The VR preview, led by the show’s curator Kate Bailey, is accessible to audiences with or without a VR headset. "From rabbit holes to mirrors, flamingoes to hedgehogs, wonderland is the perfect world for VR and the V&A is delighted to be pioneering our first ever VR event,” said Bailey.

Victoria Chang, the director of Vive Arts at HTC said: “The unprecedented circumstances in 2020 have demonstrated how technology can inspire and connect us. Virtual reality as an immersive, experimental medium is the perfect complement to the concept of Wonderland and we hope audiences at home will enjoy their journey into the exhibition.”

Interestingly, a few months ago, Greenway Associates interviewed V&A Director Pip Simpson, concerning the role of VR for museums. We asked her what she thought would be the most significant long-term impact of the pandemic on the museum visitor experience, and whether VR would have an increasing role to play. Dr Pip Simpson said:

“Even before the pandemic, the possibilities of VR were really just beginning to emerge in earnest, particularly in the last two years. I think there is certainly a role here as an alternative to overseas travel – which in itself could have seismic consequences for on-site audience demographics, as they become more local and potentially younger. However, I think we may find that the appetite for authentic, physical objects will increase after months on screen. If work, meetings, even socialising are going to become ever more virtual, we could find that the strength of the museum lies in precisely the opposite direction.”

You can read the whole interview with Pippa Simpson here.

You can also now view some of the behind the scenes creative work done by illustrator Kristjana Williams.