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Virtual music: the problem of presentation

With support from the UK Arts Council, I have been researching and developing a methodology for presenting virtual reality music and sound art in live settings.


Virtual reality experiences feature significant logistical bottlenecks. Systems are expensive and for independent composers and artists, it is likely that they can only support one audience member at a time.


In addressing these issues, I have two key areas of focus: presentation methods for gallery installations and presentation methods for concert halls. Through my research I will create ‘proof of concept’ demos that aim to address the needs of these two public settings. By establishing cost effective methods of performing and exhibiting VR works in public spaces I hope to gain new ways of connecting my creative practice with large audiences.


Using virtual ‘cameras’ within a 3D rendering engine it is possible to output multiple, high-definition video feeds from a VR experience. I believe this is an underexplored approach, one that could cater to wider public presentations of VR sound art.


In the context of a concert performance, I will use this approach to cut between multiple camera angles, allowing a single projection screen to show the entire virtual space in a live, real-time setting. In the context of a gallery installation, I will stream multiple viewing angles (1st person, 3rd person) to individual projectors, allowing the virtual space and/or the viewpoint of the VR headset to be overlayed with the gallery space itself.

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