Have we reached peak immersive art?

I didn't get to witness the Renaissance or the Enlightenment. I grew up in a room, in front of a computer, fantasizing about the combination of art and technology. My generation doesn't produce pieces with the power to symbolize wars or revolutions, like 'Guernica' or 'Liberty Leading the People', because I am - or rather, we are - the byproduct of... See more

Despite all the crises we face – the cost of living, climate change, AI – any of which should surely be enough material to inspire real and meaningful art, the overwhelm of information paired with exhausting post-capitalist forces has created an atmosphere that is nihilistic and excruciatingly mid.

- “Art exposes us to the universal experience of being a meaning-making animal in a universe where meanings falter. A good definition of art, it seems to me, might be the science of making meaning-making tools.”

Whether it is through a VR headset, the manipulation of projectors, or clever set design, immersion fulfills our desire for escapism, instantly transporting us to far-flung, exotic worlds conveniently differentiated by genre: aliens, dinosaurs, cowboys, zombies, steampunk. Excitement and wonder in a familiar imaginary, this mode of immersive entert

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In the end, to move through the world is to experience encounters that constantly pass us by, and to brush up against moments that we are not able to save other than as an unreliable memory. The increasing popularity of apps like BeReal that capture those moments—rather than try to contain and display them—seems to reflect an embrace of life’s flee... See more

The same thing that is happening to journalism, to restaurants, to bookstores to Hollywood, to everything beautiful and interesting in this country, is happening to art. Jobs are disappearing. Venture Capital funds are getting involved. In early 2020, 1,350 jobs were cut at American museums. What was barely profitable is now being gutted with the g... See more