VR as a medium of provocative social critique and awareness
Is VR more than an entertainment gimmick?
The entertainment industry is one of the most enthusiastic applications of virtual reality and some believe that VR is set to be the future of entertainment. Being an immersive and exploratory medium, it allows people to spend time with the medium and really absorb their surroundings. But is it just another medium to feed us more content?
I don’t believe this anymore thanks to an experience I had at the Surrey Art Gallery. I had the opportunity to view a collaborative virtual reality (VR) piece Unceded Territories created by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and Paisley Smith.
The Unceded Territories VR video installation uses leading edge technology that immerses viewers in a 360-degree virtual landscape inspired by Yuxweluptun’s bold multi-hued paintings. Using two handheld controllers, participants can interact with the environment by contributing to images on the screen.
“Unceded Territories is a work that demands your attention and your full-bodied participation,” says Surrey Art Gallery curator Jordan Strom. “It compels the viewer to recognize their role in one of the most urgent issues of our time: the global climate crisis.”
Summarizing the VR experience
The user finds themselves standing in an isolated space which is a blurry, pale, monochromatic image of what looks like a barren landscape. The two controllers that they were holding before have now turned into these stylized staffs after the users entered this space and became a part of this story. The words “HOLD AND RELEASE TO THROW” stand out from that image in a bright purple hue instructing them to do the same. The faint burble of a waterfall can be heard in the distance and a voice from above announces seriously: “you have to be kind to this land” and that “this is sacred land”. Then, his voice fades away and the users do as they are instructed in the thrill of this virtual reality experience: they ‘hold and release to throw’…
Balls of paint emerge from the staff and splatter on an invisible screen. The paint spreads outwards giving more clarity and color to that blurry, pale, monochromatic landscape. Now, the sky is bright and the grass is green. The users keep throwing while creating trees, cultural structures, spirit animals and stylized creatures while bobbing their heads to the “powwow-step” soundtrack playing in their ear. The trees turn from black to green as a result of repeatedly throwing the balls. Excited, the users keep spreading more colour to this pale landscape… when the man shouts in a concerned voice: “leave it alone”…“WHERE ARE YOU THROWING THAT OIL?”. The users throw the ball of oil camouflaged as paint before they realize what the man just said and watch the trees turn bright yellow and red as if they have caught flame.
Formal analysis of the VR experience
In moving into Yuxweluptun’s world, the blurry, pale, monochromatic landscape sets the ominous mood of the piece. Further, the tone, being evidently concerned, adds to the provocative theme of the work. The contrasting hue of the instructions (bright purple against the pale blue monotone) makes them stand out from that image and consequently makes the experience accessible and easy to use. When the user follows the instructions and throws paint into the void, the setting becomes polychromatic and visually clearer. The more one creates the world, the more the world begins to transform. While throwing the balls of paint, the user unknowingly throws a ball of oil, s/he realizes after it is too late and this adds to the element of surprise that enables the piece to become all the more immersive as the users are left shocked. The use of the primary complementary colors- red and yellow- creates the stark contrast needed to catch the user’s attention in an attempt to depict the fire. The splatter of paint also forms a window into this colorful world and looks like puzzle pieces that further invites and engages the user through making it thrilling for them. Perhaps, this thrill, eventually is meant to turn into regret and make the users realize their participation in the climate crisis. The fact that the artist makes this guilt appear effortlessly is remarkable and adds depth to this otherwise simplistic piece.
The lines throughout the landscape are curved and smooth which adds to the organic nature of the forms in the landscape. The shapes are 2 dimensional but appear 3 dimensional through the technique of overlapping the shapes with darker value with the ones with lighter value. This adds depth to the view which in turn adds to the aspect of immersion of the piece. At the beginning, the landscape appears fluid as if it is a reflection on thin-film possibly representing a figment of the imagination. This allows the user to comfortably adjust to the virtual surroundings after entering this space. The fluidity of the canvas could also imply that the virtual space is tangible even though it certainly is not. The thin-film effect also gives the landscape a glassy texture. The impact on the user is intensified by this strategy and makes them more accountable for their actions as they are the ones who are ‘in control’ of the environment.
Over the course of the experience one witnesses various Spirit creatures including spirit bear who is said to be an embodiment of Yuxweluptun. All the while Tribe Called Red’s “Anthem for Change” provides the driving “powwow-step” soundtrack towards greater indigenous rights to land, resources and sovereignty. The soundtrack fused with the voice of a concerned indigenous man, potentially and possibly himself, creates a lively atmosphere for this grave message that he is trying to get across. This strategy is extremely effective as the users are engaged and receive the message clearly.
Along with the strong messaging, the exhibition or experience is unified by Yuxweluptun’s iconic style. He uses abstracted ovoids throughout his work to depict leaves of trees, bodies of the spirit creatures, thought bubbles, waves, sparks of the flame etc. Harmony is also maintained throughout the peace through this consistent use of ovoids. The artist skillfully merges representations of the environment with traditional iconography while depicting the history of colonization which gives the work its powerful, contemporary imagery.
Therefore, through the use of color, contrast, shapes, fluidity, spirited soundtrack, harmony and traditional iconography, the artist skillfully coveys themes like environmental destruction, struggles of Indigenous peoples, along with colonial destruction of homelands. The weight of these themes is balanced by the simplicity of the work while keeping it immersive and engaging for the users.
Final thoughts
So, coming back to my previous question: is VR just another medium to feed us more content? Let’s be real, I believe it will be used that way. However, if more people make provocative and inspiring works like these then we can help educate, persuade, and raise awareness regarding issues that really threaten humanity. I believe art like this should be enjoyed by everybody. So, I would highly recommend checking out this work if you haven’t already!
