Highlights From the 2020 Venice International Film Festival’s Venice VR Expanded

Programmers Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac share their thoughts on this year's globally accessible event

Since its 2017 debut, the virtual reality competition within the Venice International Film Festival has showcased an industry-leading selection of diverse works from groundbreaking global talent. This division has become a beloved part of the esteemed event’s programming (with its own dedicated virtual reality island) and it consistently offers a glimpse at the future of storytelling. This year, however, health concerns led to a transformation: a name change—to …

Nina Chanel Abney’s First AR Artwork, “Imaginary Friend”

Created with voice, script and music assistance from Chris Chalk, Jeanette E Toomer (Jet) and El Tsid and available on the Acute Art app, Nina Chanel Abney’s latest artwork is an AR companion known as “Imaginary Friend.” Unveiled 28 August, the piece is Abney’s first-ever augmented reality work and was made to be a kind of talisman. As the New York-based artist tells artnet, “I’m …

Premiere: “Reykjavík” by Hugar

Wondrous soundscapes from the Icelandic duo of Bergur Þórisson and Pétur Jónsson

The path to “Reykjavík,” the fourth single from Icelandic duo Hugar‘s forthcoming album, The Vasulka Effect: Music for the Motion Picture (out 2 October), involved a convergence of visual inspirations. First, there was the documentary The Vasulka Effect, directed by Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir. Hugar (aka Bergur Þórisson and Pétur Jónsson) composed the film’s score and although this song isn’t part of that body of music, it …