19 Jul 2020

Digital Ocean - new directions in virtual reality

From Standing Room Only, 1:45 pm on 19 July 2020

Imagine being able to fly over a massive inky ocean at night, zooming in, through and around dancers, massive carvings and a haunting empty boats made out of black feathers - all without leaving home.

These are among works created by more than 20 artists for a project called  Mana Moana Volume 2: Digital Ocean.

Volume 1 saw images projected onto a massive water screen along Wellington's waterfront.

Covid-19 saw the Mana Moana artists and curators forced to take a different approach.

The delivery might be digital but the theme is the same - exploring our relationships with the ocean and climate breakdown.

Lynn Freeman spoke to Jess Feast who directed one of Mana Moana works called Manawa Hau.  And she also spoke with one of the curators, Rachael Rakena from Massey University's Whiti o Rehua School of Art.  She first asked Rachael to describe this immersive web-based digital art experience.