On Tuesday Sept 1, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. Joseph Gallivan interviews Amy Dotson about Venice VR Expanded, the virtual reality show at the Portland Art Museum from Sept 2 to 12, 2020.
Dotson is the Director of the Northwest Film Center and curator of film and new media at the Portland Art Museum. Dotson talks about how the Venice Biennial got in touch with her, what’s the difference between 2D, 3D and virtual interactive imagery with haptic feedback, and what to expect if you go to this socially distanced event which uses sanitized VR goggles and controllers.
FROM THE PRESS RELEASE
PORTLAND, Oregon (updated)—The Portland Art Museum and Northwest Film Center in Oregon have been announced as the exclusive U.S. partner for the Virtual Reality (VR) arm of the Venice Biennale through its Venice VR Expanded 2020 programming.
For the first time in its 125-year history, La Biennale di Venezia (the Venice Biennale) is offering its programming both online and at select venues around the globe, responding creatively to the travel and in-person gathering challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. Venice VR Expanded is the official creative VR competition within the frame of the Venice International Film Festival (September 2 – 12). This year, since many audiences will not be able to come to Venice for COVID-19 related reasons, Venice will come to them.
Venice VR Expanded 2020, the creative Virtual Reality competition of the 77th Venice International Film Festival, will take place September 2–12, offering access to 39 immersive VR projects from 24 countries through virtual reality headsets in satellite installations, including the Portland Art Museum and Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon. Portland will be joined in this satellite network by prestigious galleries, museums, institutions and VR leaders in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Geneva, Hangzhhou, Modena, Montreal, Moscow, Paris, Taipei, and Venice Mestre.
In Portland, the Venice VR Expanded 2020 experience will take place in the Fields Ballroom in the Portland Art Museum’s Mark Building. Participants will reserve one-hour increments and select from 39 different virtual-reality experiences featuring the best animated, non-fiction, and creative storytelling work from around the globe. The Ballroom will safely accommodate 14 participants per hour within social distancing rules, and all gear will be thoroughly sanitized between each visitor experience using the latest technology, Clean Box. Tickets go on sale at the Portland Art Museum and Northwest Film Center websites the week of August 17.
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Joseph Gallivan has been a reporter since 1990. He has covered music for the London Independent, Technology for the New York Post, and arts and culture for the Portland Tribune, where he is currently the Business Reporter. He is the author of two novels, "Oi, Ref!" and "England All Over" which are available on Amazon.com
This show was recorded by Zoom in Portland on August 23, 2020. Malia Jensen was in her home studio in Portland.
- KBOO