5 Examples of Mixed and Virtual Reality Applications from Creative Industries
VR and XR hold almost unlimited potential for creative industries and applications. When digital 3D objects can be blended seamlessly with the real world or entire, realistic digital worlds created, entire new forms of expression emerge. As virtual and mixed reality develop, so do experiences that can be created to delight, inform and impress users.
In this blog post, we look at 5 examples of immersive art and other creative VR applications using Varjo headsets, and how they are changing the way artists and creators work.
1. Jani Leinonen’s “Goodbye Reality” – Art Created in the Metaverse
Jani Leinonen has become one of the Finnish contemporary art scene’s most prominent figures. His playful and provocative works have captured global attention with bright colors and bold statements. In a pioneering installation, he invited attendees and collectors into a mesmerizing mixed reality experience.
Harnessing the power of the Varjo and the Unity engine, Leinonen established new methods for creativity, brought tangibility to NFTs, and united digital and physical art in a never-before-seen way.
2. Virtual Reality Art Project, “Modules”, by Maxim Zhestkov
Pioneering digital artist Maxim Zhestkov launched his VR art experience “Modules” at Varjo’s headquarters in Helsinki. Modules is an immersive virtual environment where architecture, sculpture, sound, film, and motion blend together to create an intense, interactive experience that welcomes viewers as co-creators.
Exploring the limits of creativity in digital space, Maxim builds new worlds with unlimited material and new rules of physics. Having built a two-decade career producing digital art, Maxim’s work has adopted computer code as a visual language. Modules continues his research into the interaction between digital and real spaces.
3. The National Museum of Finland Creates an Immersive Historical Experience
The benefit of virtual reality for museums, in general, is the ability to offer immersive experiences: bringing history and art to life today in high-fidelity 3D. With VR, museum visitors get to interact with the immersive content, which brings the experience to a personal level and leaves a memory mark.
To bridge history and today’s technology, Alma Hoque, Pauliina Lahti, Isra Rab and Lotta Veromaa decided to develop a virtual reality game concept for the National Museum of Finland using Varjo headsets. The result was Ingeborg, a virtual reality game. It takes you to Häme Castle during the 16th century, where the player meets the forgotten warlord Ingeborg Åkesdotter Tott. The game concept won the Embrace Impact Hack-Art-On event organized in autumn 2021.
4. Red Bull Brings the Thrill of Extreme Watersports to Museumgoers with VR and XR
Cliff diving is an extreme sport that offers a unique thrill to those who dare to take the plunge. The sport is certainly not for the faint of heart, and locations where these daring jumps can be made aren’t readily available to everyone.
This is why Red Bull decided to make it easier for people to experience the thrill in a more accessible environment. In a special exhibition called “Water – Breaking the Surface”, visitors of the Verkehrshaus (Swiss Museum of Transport) in Lucerne, Switzerland can find out first-hand what the extreme watersports of Red Bull athletes feels like. Instead of jumping from a real cliff, museum visitors can dive into a realistic mixed reality watersports experience powered by the Varjo headset.
5. Finnish National Opera and Ballet’s Turandot Becomes the First Show to Utilize VR Throughout the Entire Production
The Finnish National Opera and Ballet (FNOB), an esteemed European art institution, has collaborated with Varjo to design a full set production for its visually stunning Turandot opera that premiered on January 27, 2023.
Two years in the making, Turandot is the first production at the FNOB, and across opera houses globally, where behind-the-scenes immersive technology of this scale has been used from the proof-of-concept phase to final production with massive benefits. Harnessing the power of Varjo Aero virtual reality headsets, the creative teams were able to achieve major cost and time savings, while also enhancing workplace safety.