Kyueun Kim

Kyueun Kim is the recipient of the Inaugural Theatre and Technology Fellowship by the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

In my project “VR for Theatre Research and Archiving” I use VR in two ways. In addition to exploring how artists use VR in their performances, I deploy VR as a method to explore, expand, and examine theoretical questions relating to VR. I use the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset and conduct a series of interviews with VR artists via “social VR” platforms (e.g., Altspace VR, VR Chat, or Spatial). Through the interviews, I explore what kinds of different experiences are generated in virtual environments and what the implications of this are for my research. The VR interview materials will be archived and included as a digital appendix to my dissertation. The project is also supported by the 2022 – 2023 Art and Science Connect Research Fellowship and New Media Lab at The Graduate Center.

Research Timeline

• Summer 2022: One-month residency and archival research at the NYPL for the Performing Arts
• Fall 2022: Preliminary research in New York (interviewing scholars, theatre-makers, and producers in social VR platforms)
• Spring 2023: Collaboration with VR performance artists and scholars in Singapore and Seoul
• May 1, 2023: Public lecture on How VR Technology is Changing Theatre at the Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium.