On its fifth anniversary, Germany’s first artistic Virtual Reality Festival VRHAM! presents ULTRAMARIN – An Immersive Exhibition in a traveling exhibition. After the German premiere on June 2 and 3 in Hamburg, an international ensemble of artists headed by curator Ulrich Schrauth will travel to Venice in the context of the Venice Film Festival and the Venice Art Biennale: from September 1 – 8, established and new works will be presented to an international audience.
After the positive response, both from visitors in Hamburg and from our partners, we are very pleased to present ULTRAMARIN in the art metropolis of Venice. There is probably no other place where the curatorial engagement with water finds such metaphorical depth as in the city of lagoons. As artistic director, it is important for me to shine a spotlight on water as an important resource through immersive art. We want to provide visitors with novel experiences through the use of innovative technologies. We are excited to see how the international audience reacts to the immersive works of our artists and hope for numerous visitors and new contacts beyond national borders,
Ulrich Schrauth, Artistic Director of VRHAM!
On the occasion of the exhibition opening on September 1 at 7:30 pm at Tana Art Space, Helge Albers, CEO of MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, will present an exciting financing option: MOIN Filmförderung’s XR PUNK PITCH BATTLE is entering its second round. This gives national and international artists and producers the chance to receive up to 10,000 euros of funding for their XR project.
In Venice, visitors will experience works in Virtual and Augmented Technology, Mixed Media and Projection Mapping. Returning are crowd-pullers such as the video installation Primoridal Force by Can Büyükberber (ZKM, Ars Electronica, Sonar D+, among others), who has already collaborated with artists such as the band Tool Shigeto (Grammy winner) or the digital art icon Refik Anadol. In Primordial Force, alchemical symbolism and collective unconsciousness converge into infinite movement and constant interaction (www.canbuyukberber.com). “I am excited to now present my immersive audiovisual work Primordial Force in Venice. Visitors can look forward to being washed by the rays of light. Immersing yourself in Primordial Force is an art experience that evokes a meditative state,” says Can Büyükberber about his work.
Jakob Kudsk Steensen (Serpentine Gallery London, Luma Arles, LAS Light Art Space Berlin, among others) is a pioneer in working with new artistic and technological practices. He will show his VR work LIMINAL LANDS, which immerses viewers in poetic landscapes and transforms photographic material into a symphony of light and sound (www.jakobsteensen.com).
The French Studio Adrien M & Clarie B, which has already attracted international attention with works such as EQUINOX or PIXEL, is showing ACQUA ALTA – CROSSING THE MIRROR at ULTRAMARIN. With the help of Augmented Reality, visitors are immersed in a touching story about love, loss and the power of imagination (www.am- cb.net/en).
Swiss artist Mélodie Mousset (MoKa, ZABLUDOWICZ Collection, MAC Lyon, among others) explores the human body and its virtuality in JELLYFISH, an extraordinary work in which visitors interact with the virtual underwater world surrounding them through their voices. Motion designer Christoph Monchalin also focuses on the body in his work, but uses a meditative approach. With MUTED, he presents a volumetric VR experience that transports visitors into weightlessness and lets them sink below the imagined dream world of a deaf-mute young girl.
The Canadian media artist Olivia McGilchrist (among others MUTEK Montreal) presents MYRa at ULTRAMARIN: Underwater worlds meet performance art; 360° videos and 3D animations catapult the audience into a virtual tidal wave (www.oliviamcgilchrist.com). With the kind support of the Québec Government Office in Germany and the Senate Chancellery of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
ULTRAMARIN @ Biennale Venezia
Tana Art Space I Fondamenta della Tana 2111, Sestiere Castello 2109A, 30122 Venice
From September 1 – 8
Tickets (free)
