When virtual becomes reality Artists Jess Johnson, in New York, and Simon Ward, in New Zealand, collaborating virtually during lockdown. They talk with Jaklyn Babington about digital engagement during the pandemic.
Jaklyn: You have both mostly resided in different locations and utilised alternative and virtual ways of collaborating, which makes for interesting work. The pandemic has launched a new era of digital engagement and I wonder if you have already participated in, or witnessed, this new surge of digital creativity? Simon: I’m quite interested in the music scene and the live streaming community has ballooned like crazy over this time. There’s a program called VR Chat where you can walk around as an avatar and go to different meeting rooms. I went to a rave there. They’re doing their raves every week and then putting all of their mixes up on SoundCloud. It’s called Club Cringe, if anyone wants to check it out. There’s also a boutique film theatre in New York that is called Spectacle. I think Soda Jerk are involved with it. They’ve got daily films that they show every day and Soda Jerk showed their film Terror Nullius. Everyone seems a lot more connected [digitally]. Jaklyn: Alternative spaces are fascinating right now, as our physical lives are compressed, the escapism that VR offers seems important. Are people using VR in a greater kind of capacity something that’s been taken away? Jess: In the last few weeks, I’ve delved into doing more of other people’s VR experiences and playing games in VR. I do think that impulse purely comes from a need to escape, escape my apartment, and escape the reality and all of that. Do you know Boneworks? There’s also a rhythm game set in this
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLIE RUBIN, 2019
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