VR often promises to offer a unique and individualized experience, similar to immersive theatre. To move beyond this frame, I am conducting interviews with artists to gain an intersubjective understanding of VR performance. Here, the inter-view is a methodology to “see between” and “see each other” across layers of experience both in physical and virtual realms. As I navigate the evolving VR technology and its possibilities (and limitations) in performance, I propose these interviews as duets in academic discourse.
I conducted an interview with South Korean artist Kwon Hayoun in a virtual museum I created using a social VR platform. Meeting as virtual avatars, we discussed topics related to what I call VR dramaturgy, from designing physical and virtual spaces, understanding technical affordances and limitations of VR technology, to choreographing movements for both performers and audience especially in the context of Kwon’s participatory VR performance, XXth Attempt Towards the Potential of Magic. The full interview is published in Critical Stages(December 2024).The second interview is with Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen. We discuss the dramaturgy of ghostly voices in his participatory VR work Voice of Void, as well as VR as a medium to address complex histories and unresolved tensions in Asia. The full interview is considered for TDR: The Drama Review.
[Left] Photo with Ho Tzu Nyen at the artist’s studio in Singapore
[Right] Virtual selfie with Hayoun Kwon as 3D avatars in a VR gallery
Kyueun Kim 