Theoni Androulidaki interviews Deborah Smith, Albright Special Associate Curator and Consultant.
While we all appreciate flexible remote working, hybrid models can pose challenges for organisational culture and business relationships. In some cases, collaboration can suffer, and employees may feel disconnected from the company’s values. Similarly, maintaining meaningful client relationship becomes challenging for global firms and multinationals. So how can businesses engage their teams and clients in innovative, enjoyable ways?
We spoke with Deborah Smith, Albright Special Associate Curator and Consultant, about her recent exhibition in collaboration with Vortic titled Excavation: Macro to the Micro. This project offers a compelling example of how global firms can leverage the highest quality 3D exhibitions across web, mobile, and Virtual Reality (VR) to enhance both employee and client engagement, particularly in a global context. It also presents exciting possibilities for corporate art collections to expand their reach and value by connecting with international audiences.
The exhibition launched at The House of KOKO, a private members' club in London. It presented selected artworks and an opportunity to be immersed in the virtual exhibition accessed online through the Vortic platform.
Deborah shares her insights on the technology’s potential to create immersive, and shared, experience.
Theoni Androulidaki (TA): In a previous interview, you mentioned that working with Vortic allowed you to "push the boundaries of space”. Can you please expand on this idea and your process?
Deborah Smith (DS): The process of curating this show was much like my usual approach to organising an exhibition. With this show my selection began with a portfolio of large-scale works that I called the macro. The micro was an excavation of those large painting to interweave overarching themes and complexities of artistic practice.
When I refer to “push[ing] the boundaries of space”, – working virtually means you’re not constrained by a physical existing space but have the freedom for exploration. I worked in collaboration with the architects KHBT in designing the exhibition space from the ground up, with the art at the forefront, and visitor navigation and engagement.
TA: How does the curatorial message change when an exhibition is not only experienced online but also remains accessible indefinitely? In this case, it can be viewed long after the exclusive launch or a corporate environment.
DS: Traditionally, museums and galleries archive / document their exhibitions. More recently, many institutions used tools like Matterport, an augmented reality that stitches together images that allows you to move through space This was especially common during lockdown. Vortic is exceptional in that the artworks are of the highest quality and can be seen across multiple platforms of the web, mobile, and through a headset for an immersed virtual experience. The exhibition will be catalogued and serve as a legacy for audiences to revisit.
TA: Do you have any plans to activate or further develop the exhibition during its remaining online run?
DS: I hosted a small roundtable discussion with a group of 11 people, including artists/makers, curators, and Vortic collaborators. Bringing the exhibition from the digital to the discursive realm, we explored ideas around how does visual culture craft narratives, and who are the storytellers, particularly with a focus on materiality and technology. The outcome a fascinating sharing of ideas and an excitement for the art tech space. Vortic continue to highlight the exhibition on social media, focusing on different artists and their works to spark ongoing engagement and dialogue.
The integration of virtual reality and digital technology in exhibitions offers exciting possibilities for enhancing audience engagement. By linking physical and virtual spaces, VR enables the same content to reach a larger, potentially global audience, while simultaneously allowing live events, discussion and conversations. And it’s not just about displaying art; wearing a headset, each viewer has time and space to consider works afresh, away from crowds and distractions, enjoying a new experience and a deeper interaction.
Additionally, the technology offers the potential for a collection or exhibition to be replicated, revisited or amended at a completely different time, negating the need for storage or rebuilding costs. This digital transformation reimagines traditional art experiences, allowing businesses to cultivate a richer, more connected cultural experience in an increasingly hybrid world.