Virtual Reality Experience: “Grayson Perry: Provincial Punk“ at Turner Contemporary: Installation shot.
Think the pink wall color is too extreme, you can change it. Prefer different lighting? – that’s up to you.
Boulevard’s VR experience “Grayson Perry: Provincial Punk” not only offers an immersive encounter with several important works from this 2015 exhibition held at Turner Contemporary, but actually let’s you have a hand in shaping the environment in which these works are viewed. In effect, you get to be the show’s exhibition designer!
British artist and media figure Grayson Perry, who came of age in the fashionable post-punk London scene during the early 1980s, is often described as the “great chronicler of contemporary life.“ He is best known for compelling and beautifully crafted artworks that combine provocative imagination and autobiographical reference with wry social commentary on themes ranging from class, taste, consumerism, and war.
“Grayson Perry: Provincial Punk” allows users to explore three of the artist’s tapestries, four ceramics, and one bronze sculpture in virtual reality. You can move around the Turner Contemporary space to look at any object and zoom in on sections of the tapestries. 3-D objects can also be rotated to be seen in the round. A pop-up tablet provides textual information about the pieces and audio is narrated by one of Turner Contemporary’s curators.
The most unique feature within the experience, however, is a customizable panel allowing the user the opportunity to design aspects of the gallery environment. You can add your own aesthetic to the experience by selecting the floor treatment, wall color, lighting, sound, exterior time of day, and props, such as a disco ball.
According to Perry, “Provincial Punk is a very creative force. It is a willingness to turn things over, to not accept the fashion and to have a bit of fun.” It’s in that playful spirit that you are invited to interact with these objects and transform the gallery they are in. Have fun!
*Download the Boulevard app for free from the Oculus Store. Available for use with Oculus Go and the Oculus Rift. Coming soon to Quest.