Phase Summary Report for “What is Virtual Art – Volume 1”

Report

Phase Summary Report for “What is Virtual Art – Volume 1”

The virtual exhibition “What Is Virtual Art – Volume 1” presented by VMoVA officially opened on June 6, 2025. By September 6, exactly 3 months had passed.

What happened in the first 3 months after the opening of this virtual exhibition? We have created a report to record notable happenings in this period, sharing it here with those of you who may be interested in it.

1. About VMoVA

Virtual Museum of Virtual Art (VMoVA) is a virtual art museum on VRChat, dedicated to showcasing the innovation and diversity of virtual art. By integrating storytelling with exhibitions, VMoVA not only presents unique artworks but also shares the creative stories and research experiences of the artists behind them.

Since its launch, VMoVA has been well-received by the VRChat community, and at the same time, it has also received recognition at several international film festivals.

2. About Exhibition

“What Is Virtual Art – Volume 1” is the inaugural exhibition of an online virtual exhibition series themed around “virtual art”. It can be accessed as World on VRChat.

This virtual exhibition is curated and created by Jessien Huang. The captivating art exhibition and narrative explore the vibrant realm of virtual art through the groundbreaking work of four visionary artists: ZENG Chen (reimagining Shadow Play), Polaris (transforming Theatrical Scenery), LI Tianzhi (reinventing Pop-Up Book), and ReVerse Butcher (deconstructing Collage).

Drawing inspiration from diverse traditional art forms, they unveil their exquisite virtual creations, offering a glimpse into their creative processes and inspiring broader interdisciplinary exploration.

3. Visits On VRChat

By September 6, this virtual exhibition on VRChat had achieved the following:

32,520 Visits
8,286 Favorites
Favorites/Visits ratio ≈ 25.5%

4. Event On VRChat

On June 8th, the Raindance Immersive team hosted a live Q&A session for this exhibition on VRChat.
The session featured the participation of curator Jessien, artists Polaris and ReVerse Butcher, as well as art enthusiasts from around the world. It included activities such as exhibition viewing, interactive Q&A, and behind-the-scenes sharing.

These photos were taken and shared by SladeDaCat.

5. Views On X

In addition to visiting “What Is Virtual Art – Volume 1” on VRChat, visitors also shared content about the exhibition on the social media platform X.
By September 6, the secondary dissemination generated on Platform X included the following:

821,183 Views
278 Photos or Videos
177 Tweets

6. Virtual Photos

In the photos and videos shared by visitors, many beautiful moments from the exhibition “What Is Virtual Art – Volume 1” were captured.
Thanks to all of you for your visit and sharing! We have selected some of these moments to display here, hoping to pass this beauty on to more people.

Unit 1: Shadow Play

x.com/mamamam040

x.com/aipo_vrc

x.com/SWyattuke

x.com/warorione

x.com/mamamam040

x.com/poca_p0ca

x.com/_habaki

x.com/mamamam040

x.com/nemaki111

x.com/miko2

x.com/9ku8ju1

x.com/zenmai223

x.com/ILI14VRC

x.com/vrc_sasa

x.com/enashka_

Unit 2: Theatrical Scenery

x.com/aselorarara

x.com/aipo_vrc

x.com/vandarugion615

x.com/MASA_N_S_

x.com/rinrinka_vrc

x.com/poca_p0ca

x.com/tB6ka22_23

x.com/nahciit

x.com/gamemode_7

x.com/ayatakakata

x.com/ILI14VRC

x.com/obakestove02

x.com/poca_p0ca

x.com/takachiho_vrc

x.com/sabiruyo

Unit 3: Pop-Up Book

x.com/takachiho_vrc

x.com/nahciit

x.com/vandarugion615

x.com/gamemode_7

x.com/_habaki

x.com/litowinter

x.com/aselorarara

x.com/nemaki111

x.com/kurakonbu_

x.com/miko2

x.com/yamadanihon

x.com/ILI14VRC

Unit 4: Collage

x.com/jellekayen

x.com/takachiho_vrc

x.com/miko2

x.com/vandarugion615

x.com/kurakonbu_

x.com/adayiu0v0

x.com/gamemode_7

Other

x.com/aselorarara

x.com/nahciit

x.com/takachiho_vrc

x.com/vrc_sasa

x.com/chiroru_owarase

x.com/koakuma4op

x.com/aipo_vrc

x.com/VCR_ayase3

x.com/warorione

x.com/dekasugi_police

x.com/Azure323_VRC

x.com/sorakazehyu

x.com/akngm3_vrc

7. Translation

The Japanese translation of “What is Virtual Art – Volume 1” was completed by sabakichi and Takaomi.
Both sabakichi and Takaomi are experienced content creators. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to them for taking the time to assist with this exhibition’s Japanese translation work amid their daily work!

sabakichi
https://domaindesign.co

Takaomi
https://takaomivr.myportfolio.com

8. Trailer

The trailer for “What is Virtual Art – Volume 1” was filmed and produced by luoyvzhuxiong.
luoyvzhuxiong is a virtual photographer and video blogger. We would like to express our sincere thanks to him for helping with this exhibition’s trailer work!

luoyvzhuxiong
https://space.bilibili.com

9. Film Festivals

The 33rd Raindance Film Festival

“What is Virtual Art – Volume 1” has been nominated for the Best Art Experience at the 33rd Raindance Film Festival.
https://www.raindanceimmersive.com

Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK. It is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards. Selected shorts will qualify for Oscar® and BAFTA considerations.
Raindance Immersive, part of the Raindance Film Festival, is dedicated to celebrating independent XR creators, game developers, world builders, performers, and filmmakers. Since its inception in 2016, it has grown into the UK’s largest XR festival, championing cutting-edge virtual culture, particularly on social VR platforms like VRChat.

The 82nd Venice International Film Festival

“What is Virtual Art – Volume 1” has been selected for the Best of Worlds section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
https://www.labiennale.org

The Venice International Film Festival, established in 1932, is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious film festivals, held annually from late August to early September on Venice’s Lido Island, Italy. As one of the top three global film festivals, it aims to showcase high-quality international films, promote cinematic innovation, and foster cultural exchange.
Venice Immersive is a section of the Venice International Film Festival, launched in 2017, dedicated to extended reality (XR). It’s the first A-list film festival to include virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) in its competition. It showcases immersive art and media, including 360° videos, interactive XR works, virtual worlds, and installations.

10. Article

Ethereal Materials

https://etherealmaterials.net

Ethereal Materials is a research project on the state of the theatrical event in the age of virtuality. The project asks what being there means in the context of performance today.
It is conducted by Andrew Eglinton, a researcher in contemporary performance based in Kobe, Japan, and is funded by a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science grant.

11. Podcast

Voices of VR

https://voicesofvr.com

Since May 2014, Kent Bye has traveled around the world interviewing the pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists driving the field of virtual & augmented reality. To date this effort has produced over 1200 Voices of VR podcasts.
Kent is a philosopher, oral historian, & experiential journalist helping define the patterns of immersive storytelling, experiential design, & the ultimate potential of XR.

12. Thanks

Here, we would like to sincerely thank every participant, visitor, and sharer of this exhibition.
The exhibition will remain open, and you are always welcome to visit it on VRChat:
https://vrchat.com/home/launch?worldId=wrld_d141fbfd-9640-4c8e-afb1-027685ea68dd

If you have anything to discuss or communicate about, please contact us via https://vmova.org/contact