Now in its third year, the virtual reality section of Venice is making serious forays into documentary territory.
The 76th Venice film festival has included sci-fi thrills and comic-book action, backstage melodrama and medieval court intrigue. During the event’s most escapist moments, anyone longing for a dose of reality would have had more luck finding it in the virtual world.
Venice VR is a pioneering festival sidebar dedicated to showcasing the best examples of an emergent art form, with a programme of 40 VR works from around the world. Now in its third year, the section already appears to have turned more mature and serious in its focus. “New art forms usually gravitate towards dystopian fantasy and escapism,” says Liz Rosenthal, Venice VR’s co-curator. “But we’re now seeing projects that are more interested in human relationships and social issues. It’s all got a lot more sophisticated.”