Metaverse Art Comes Alive in Come Into My World
Step into a world where nostalgia, childhood wonder, and digital imagination collide. Come Into My World transforms art exhibitions into immersive journeys, letting you explore seven unique artist-created realms through VR, AR, or your laptop. It’s playful, uncanny, and deeply personal.
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New forms of technology lead to developments in the art world, and some of the most exciting innovations have been in the metaverse. Loop is at the forefront, with an aim to create immersive art exhibitions, accessible through virtual reality, augmented reality or simply on any laptop. With artificial intelligence causing a concern for creative integrity, it’s refreshing to see new technology used to enable instead of inhibit artists.
The latest Loop exhibit is titled Come Into My World and features work by seven exciting new media artists; Kristin Baxter, Abieyuwa, Echo Wang, Nandita Basak, Javier Aparicio, Romain Thibault and Betül Sertkaya. No two ‘worlds’ are the same, however there are overlapping themes throughout the exhibit of nostalgia, childhood, and the uncertainty of our memories.
When you enter the exhibit through the Metaverse, you’re greeted with slightly ominous ambient music, setting the tone for the journey ahead. Seven icons surround you in a circle, each a portal into the world of the artist, holding a hint as to what this world could entail.
Co-curator and artist Kristin Baxter’s portal door – a laptop and projector- caught my eye as a tech lover. Inside her world, The Girl With A Digital Dream, was a typical teenage girl bedroom, adorned with stuffed animals, a vanity and posters of 2000s pop princesses. Much like Baxter’s work on social media, the true magic was in the projections on the walls – a window displaying a beautiful beach, and an empty subway carriage. One of the coolest things about the Come Into My World Metaverse experience is that each world has interactive elements, a portal into another part of the world where you can see more into the artist’s mind. Stepping into the beach scene transports you out of the dark bedroom into a bright and colourful landscape. I was reminded of my teenage days, spending hours alone in my bedroom, using technology to travel to a place more exciting than my surroundings.
Another highlight for me was Abieyuwa’s From Lagos With Love. As a fellow Nigerian who recently returned from a trip to Lagos, Abieyuwa’s art took me right back into the soft, innocent eyes I viewed Nigeria through as a child. The hazy old-school Nigerian music playing in the background and the sounds of children giggling are the first thing that caught my attention in this utopian beachside scene. Abieyuwa told Loop that she was inspired by Sailor Moon and you can see it in the colours of the pastel hues of pink and purple. The barbecue smoking in the corner next to beach chairs facing the sunset completes this nostalgic holiday scene.
Venturing into From Lagos With Love things get even dreamier as you enter Salon Celestia. Filled with beauty products, magazines and posters, Salon Celestia truly encapsulates the early 00s Black hair salon experience. Abieyuwa wanted this piece to reflect how the hair salon is a place of community, “where stylists often act as confidante, offering comfort and counsel alongside their services”. This world evokes the almost magical feeling of secrecy, transporting you into another place entirely. As you look out the window, you’re no longer at a peaceful beach side. What greets you is an enchanted forest, filled with cherry blossom trees surrounding the gold statue of a hand, with glowing patterns that stand out in the moonlight.
Nostalgia, escapism and child-like wonder are strong themes throughput the Come Into My World exhibition. But some of the artwork left you feeling more unsettled than comforted.
Metamorphosis Chamber by Echo Wang is a jarring yet not unwelcome change of pace, Surrounded by spinning insects and a pulsing beat over what sounds like a drone, Wang demands you into his world in all caps- GET INSIDE. Once transported ‘inside’, Metamorphosis Chamber feels a lot more like a traditional exhibit, despite its unsettling introduction. The world is laid out through a cave-like interior, with each room featuring different pieces of art and an accompanying instrumental. If you’re scared of insects then this experience isn’t for you, as the metamorphosis theme includes multiple depictions of various bugs, and multi-legged human figures.
It took me an hour to fully explore every nook and cranny of the Come Into My World exhibit, and by the time I took off my virtual reality headset I was left feeling comforted yet challenged. I’m used to exhibits holding my hand as I walk through them, with little placards contextualising every piece of art I see. But Come Into My World has none of this, barely any text at all. The immersive experience encouraged me to let go of my grasp on reality for a while and completely submerge myself in the mind of these artists, whatever that may entail. Kristin Baxter and Nandita Basak did a great job curating artwork that is so different, yet somehow cohesive as a collective.
While I still prefer the physical experience of being in a ‘real-life’ exhibit- sometimes the worlds would glitch and dampen my immersion, some of the components would take a while to load in, etcetera- virtual reality exhibits are a welcome format. As the lines between online and reality continue to blur every day, we can rest assured that thought-provoking art will always be with us.
Come Into My World is completely free to visit and is accessible from a smartphone, laptop or VR headset through this link: https://loop.onland.io/
New forms of technology lead to developments in the art world, and some of the most exciting innovations have been in the metaverse. Loop is at the forefront, with an aim to create immersive art exhibitions, accessible through virtual reality, augmented reality or simply on any laptop. With artificial intelligence causing a concern for creative integrity, it’s refreshing to see new technology used to enable instead of inhibit artists.
The latest Loop exhibit is titled Come Into My World and features work by seven exciting new media artists; Kristin Baxter, Abieyuwa, Echo Wang, Nandita Basak, Javier Aparicio, Romain Thibault and Betül Sertkaya. No two ‘worlds’ are the same, however there are overlapping themes throughout the exhibit of nostalgia, childhood, and the uncertainty of our memories.
When you enter the exhibit through the Metaverse, you’re greeted with slightly ominous ambient music, setting the tone for the journey ahead. Seven icons surround you in a circle, each a portal into the world of the artist, holding a hint as to what this world could entail.
Co-curator and artist Kristin Baxter’s portal door – a laptop and projector- caught my eye as a tech lover. Inside her world, The Girl With A Digital Dream, was a typical teenage girl bedroom, adorned with stuffed animals, a vanity and posters of 2000s pop princesses. Much like Baxter’s work on social media, the true magic was in the projections on the walls – a window displaying a beautiful beach, and an empty subway carriage. One of the coolest things about the Come Into My World Metaverse experience is that each world has interactive elements, a portal into another part of the world where you can see more into the artist’s mind. Stepping into the beach scene transports you out of the dark bedroom into a bright and colourful landscape. I was reminded of my teenage days, spending hours alone in my bedroom, using technology to travel to a place more exciting than my surroundings.
Another highlight for me was Abieyuwa’s From Lagos With Love. As a fellow Nigerian who recently returned from a trip to Lagos, Abieyuwa’s art took me right back into the soft, innocent eyes I viewed Nigeria through as a child. The hazy old-school Nigerian music playing in the background and the sounds of children giggling are the first thing that caught my attention in this utopian beachside scene. Abieyuwa told Loop that she was inspired by Sailor Moon and you can see it in the colours of the pastel hues of pink and purple. The barbecue smoking in the corner next to beach chairs facing the sunset completes this nostalgic holiday scene.
Venturing into From Lagos With Love things get even dreamier as you enter Salon Celestia. Filled with beauty products, magazines and posters, Salon Celestia truly encapsulates the early 00s Black hair salon experience. Abieyuwa wanted this piece to reflect how the hair salon is a place of community, “where stylists often act as confidante, offering comfort and counsel alongside their services”. This world evokes the almost magical feeling of secrecy, transporting you into another place entirely. As you look out the window, you’re no longer at a peaceful beach side. What greets you is an enchanted forest, filled with cherry blossom trees surrounding the gold statue of a hand, with glowing patterns that stand out in the moonlight.
Nostalgia, escapism and child-like wonder are strong themes throughput the Come Into My World exhibition. But some of the artwork left you feeling more unsettled than comforted.
Metamorphosis Chamber by Echo Wang is a jarring yet not unwelcome change of pace, Surrounded by spinning insects and a pulsing beat over what sounds like a drone, Wang demands you into his world in all caps- GET INSIDE. Once transported ‘inside’, Metamorphosis Chamber feels a lot more like a traditional exhibit, despite its unsettling introduction. The world is laid out through a cave-like interior, with each room featuring different pieces of art and an accompanying instrumental. If you’re scared of insects then this experience isn’t for you, as the metamorphosis theme includes multiple depictions of various bugs, and multi-legged human figures.
It took me an hour to fully explore every nook and cranny of the Come Into My World exhibit, and by the time I took off my virtual reality headset I was left feeling comforted yet challenged. I’m used to exhibits holding my hand as I walk through them, with little placards contextualising every piece of art I see. But Come Into My World has none of this, barely any text at all. The immersive experience encouraged me to let go of my grasp on reality for a while and completely submerge myself in the mind of these artists, whatever that may entail. Kristin Baxter and Nandita Basak did a great job curating artwork that is so different, yet somehow cohesive as a collective.
While I still prefer the physical experience of being in a ‘real-life’ exhibit- sometimes the worlds would glitch and dampen my immersion, some of the components would take a while to load in, etcetera- virtual reality exhibits are a welcome format. As the lines between online and reality continue to blur every day, we can rest assured that thought-provoking art will always be with us.
Come Into My World is completely free to visit and is accessible from a smartphone, laptop or VR headset through this link: https://loop.onland.io/
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