acute art's VR exhibition hyperrealities opens at artscience museum, singapore

is this the real life or is this just virtual reality? to celebrate 10 years since its inauguration, the artscience museum in singapore opens its doors to a VR gallery on july 10, 2021 where fantasy takes a whole new dimension. through a collaboration with acute art, an exhibition, titled hyperrealities, triggers curiosity, excitement and more. equipped with cutting-edge technology, the event invites visitors to literally immerse themselves into artworks by world renowned artists marina abramović, olafur eliasson and anish kapoor.

image courtesy of marina bay sands

set on level 4 in the artscience museum, hyperrealities is here as the first of its kind in southeast asia. the pioneering event is organized by singapore’s major cultural institution of art, science and technology, which, since 2011, has featured some of the world’s most major artists such as leonardo da vinci and vincent van gogh, as well as setting up exhibitions related to robotics and particle physics. sharing a common passion for the digital world, the highly skilled production team of acute art joins, translating their compelling exhibited artwork into virtual, augmented mediums and realities.

‘I am happy that artscience museum in singapore now presents the pioneering works we have produced with some of today’s most significant artists,’ says daniel birnbaum, artistic director of acute art.

image courtesy of marina bay sands

absorbed into the minds of three brilliant artists, visitors get to witness an exhilarating journey of touch, sight and sound come together. the state-of-the-art handheld controllers and headsets broaden the expansion and experience of art as we know it. as a result, the numerous possibilities that unfold become means of potential as the provided tools call for different sensory perspectives and understandings.

‘at artscience museum we believe that new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality enable museums to create pioneering new experiences for audiences,’ explains honor harger, executive director of artscience museum, marina bay sands.

image courtesy of marina bay sands

eliasson’s first ever VR work invites people to submerge themselves into the ephemeral phenomenon that is the ‘rainbow’. with colors, water droplets and lights that interact with body movement, a majestic meditative experience unravels. on the contrary, ‘rising’ by abramović leads viewers into nature’s more frightening climate changes. mastering art with activism once again, the artist caged in a rising water tank urges intimacy as users interact with her face-to-face watching her drown. as one reconsiders the human impact on the world, kapoor’s ‘into yourself, fall’ is for those who dare enter a dizzying, chaotic maze of their inner self – literally. through an abstract journey of muscle and flesh tunnels, the viewer experiences the sense of getting lost within their body.

the cinematic scale of VR becomes more intricate than expected. whether one is drenched under a rainbow, leaps into their own body or is asked to save a drowning person’s life, hyperrealities is a thrill not to be missed. to learn more info about the exhibition and push the boundaries of reality, visit the link here.

marina abramović
image courtesy of acute art

marina abramović, still from ‘rising’
image courtesy of acute art

olafur eliasson
image courtesy of acute art

olafur eliasson, still from ‘rainbow’
image courtesy of acute art

anish kapoor
image courtesy of acute art

anish kapoor, still from ‘into yourself, fall’
image courtesy of anish kapoor and acute art

exhibition info:

opening: july 10

organizers: artscience museum, acute art

location: 6 bayfront avenue, singapore 

duration: 10-16 july, monday-sunday