By: Di Liu

Over the past decade, digital-based immersive and interactive art experiences have emerged as a popular trend in the art world. As we scroll through various social media platforms, it’s common to encounter mesmerizing images of people engaging with art in unconventional ways. The traditional scene of visitors standing two meters away from Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” cautiously capturing the moment on their phones while museum security guards vigilantly maintain the boundary, is becoming dull. We find posts of people lying on a vast floor, surrounded by massive projections of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, or people standing in a shimmering, mirrored space that radiates like a diamond. These experiences seem to transport them closer to a seemingly four-dimension.

In the digital age, rapid technological advancements and continuous updates in digital equipment have revolutionized the art experience. Stimulating interaction with digital art to evoke a multi-sensory experience has become a defining characteristic of modern art consumption. Visitors are no longer spectators; they are active participants. This shift towards non-traditional, digital immersive, and interactive art forms has undoubtedly narrowed the gap between the audience and the art itself, offering a more intimate experience. However, immersive and interactive art as a widely accepted medium remains an open question.

Defining Immersive Art and its Revolution

Immersive art exhibitions are a unique blend of art and technology. The core concept is "immersion." Artists use sound, light, and electronic elements to transform spaces into scenes distinct from reality. This allows viewers to not only see but also interact with the artwork, offering a multi-sensory experience and triggering resonance.

The term "immersive art" is not a recent invention. The fascination of participants with experiencing immersive art did not originate with the advent of computer-based technologies such as virtual or augmented reality. Immersive art can be traced back to the 1960s and even further to the art of illusion found in the late Roman Republic—for instance, panoramic wall painting. A notable example is the Great Frieze in the Villa dei Misteri in Pompeii. Its large scale and 360-degree wall space create an illusion of extended space, thus making rooms seem larger. The life-sized figures in the painting were designed to envelop the viewer, merging real space with the painted space and thereby crafting an early form of immersive experience. (Grau 26) Doesn't this panoramic style bear a striking resemblance to the Van Gogh immersive art experiences we see today?

Fast forward to the 20th century, and the evolution of media art brought new forms of immersive experiences. In the late 1960s, an artist collective of emerging artists and researchers called Pulsa, sponsored by Yale University, showcased an experimental piece at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). This installation used computer programming to create an environment of light and sound. It represented a pioneering approach to using indoor spaces, encouraging collaboration and participation between the artists and the audience. This exhibition marked a significant step in the evolution of immersive art, highlighting the importance of audience engagement in creating a shared, immersive experience.

The Art, the Space, and the Participants in the 21st Century

In the 21st century, immersive art has undergone a revolution due to technological advancements and how its definition intertwines among three key components: the art itself, the space, and most crucially, the participants. Immersive art is far from being a solitary experience; it actively seeks audience engagement. This is the reason as we often observe artists incorporating interactive elements into their immersive art experiences. "Immersive" art exhibitions, characterized by technology, interactivity, and fun, allow audiences to engage with the creators' intentions, explore the works' meanings from multiple dimensions, and embrace their richness wholeheartedly. This mode of experience shifts focus from mere observation to a more intimate interaction with the audience's feelings and experiences, making it more appealing to the public than traditional art exhibitions.

One pioneer in this sector is the Japan-based art collective teamLab. TeamLab’s installations are characterized by their use of digital projection, light, sound, and motion sensors to craft continually evolving, computer-programmed artworks. Their work blurs the lines between individual identity and the external world, merging physical and virtual spaces to create dynamic, responsive environments. Often large-scale and site-specific. The formation and operation model for teamLab’s exhibitions simulates nature as a touching and collective experience. It is hoped that visitors will use their bodies to roam, immerse, explore, and create new experiences with others. “Through its artworks, teamLab aims to reflect our behaviors and to inspire us to adapt our actions and thoughts for a better world.” (teamLab, 2016). While it remains uncertain if experiencing these exhibitions can directly better the world, it is undeniable that teamLab’s work brings joy to its audience.

What Influences Our Mood in the Immersive and Interactive Art Experience?

Digital-based immersive and interactive art can engage multiple senses and create a deeply enveloping environment for the participants. “Immersion is both a physical and  psychological experience in which the physical aspects are related to the perceptions of sensory engagement. Immersive experiences encompass an intense experience of presence.” (Sobitan and Vlachos, A Quantitative Analysis). These multi-sensory immersive experiences affect participants’ senses in various ways, one of the most apparent being their mood.

The results show positive findings that the virtual art exhibited with music immersion increased positive affect and decreased negative affect in participants. Taking the example of teamLab’s Continuity exhibition from the Asian Art Museum as an example, participants walked into a vivid projection of flowers, butterflies, and natural elements interacting with and reacting to people moving and touching through the space, the etherol music that harmonized with the visual art, most participants showing a smile on their faces. This study provides evidence that immersive arts can be used as a complementary approach to traditional medicine to enhance people’s well-being.

A recent study aimed to uncover the effects of immersive art exhibitions on people’s moods during the COVID-19 pandemic sheds some light on this matter. The study investigated whether incorporating music alongside virtual art exhibits affects the mood changes experienced by audiences, especially when in-person human interaction was limited during the lockdown. Research by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction in the general public revealed that the pandemic significantly heightened mental health issues among Canadians, particularly among youth aged 16 to 24, who reported increased anxiety, substance use, and difficulty handling pandemic-related stress. Furthermore, individuals with substance use concerns showed signs of worsening mental health during the pandemic. Then the experiment result showed encouraging findings: virtual art exhibits with musical immersion increased positive emotions and decreased negative feelings in participants. (Hadavi, VisualEars).

Taking teamLab’s Continuity exhibition at the Asian Art Museum as an example, participants enter a space where vivid projections of flowers, butterflies, and other natural elements interact and react to their movements and touch. The ethereal music harmonizes with the visual art, often leaving most participants with smiles on their faces. This exhibition proves that immersive arts could serve as a complementary approach to traditional medicine, enhancing people’s well-being.

Socialization of Digital-based Immersive and Interactive Art

One of the key elements of digital-based immersive and interactive art exhibitions is their encouragement of active participation. Abiola and Vlachos’ research, “Immersive Event Experience and Attendee Motivation,” identified seven motivational domains for immersive experiences. These include ‘family togetherness,’ ‘social contact,’ ‘stimulus seeking,’ ‘meeting or observing people, learning and discovery,’ ‘nostalgia,’ and ‘escape’ from personal and social pressures. Immersive and interactive art exhibitions are designed to promote social interaction, often taking the form of group activities. This is partially due to the unique neuro-stimulating power of immersive art. (Sobitan and Vlachos, A Quantitative Analysis).

A 2013 study investigating brain function and neurofeedback within immersive and interactive art environments provides insights into our collective motivation and how it modulates brain activity. Participants wore EEG (electroencephalogram) headbands in a dome-shaped room to monitor brainwave activity during various activities, including solo and group games. The experiment incorporated projections and live improvisational music. In solo settings, participants used their neurofeedback to control the game, whereas the group setting required awareness of both individual and collective brain states. The findings suggest that group dynamics and social interaction can influence and enhance individual cognitive processes. (Kovacevic, My Virtual Dream).

Many immersive and interactive art experiences promote active learning, whether about art and technology or through shared experiences. Consider the Van Gogh Immersive Experience, where exhibition spaces often host couples, families, or groups of friends. As popularized by the Netflix show “Emily in Paris,” where Emily and her friends Gabriel and Camille are seen laughing in the ethereal projections of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, these exhibitions are seen as ideal group activities or date venues. These exhibitions typically feature dark or extremely lit settings, creating a boundary-less space.

While these exhibitions can foster social connections, they raise accessibility challenges for neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, or other neurological or developmental conditions. Enhancing accessibility for these groups needs to be an important consideration in the digital-based immersive and interactive art environment.

Challenges for Participation in Digital-based Immersive and Interactive Art Experience and Conclusion

As digital-based immersive and interactive art experiences gain popularity, they are increasingly moving away from traditional art museums. These innovative art forms require extensive technological setups and large spaces for free movement and interaction among visitors. Many of them are seeking commercial venues located in metropolitan cities. For example, Superblue in Miami, a venue showcasing multiple artists' immersive art, and Artechouse, a technology-driven art institute with locations in New York, Washington D.C., and Miami, these spaces have evolved from the conventional museum setting to embrace a more commercial aspect of art.

However, this shift comes with disadvantages for participants seeking a diverse art experience and for those who may not have substantial financial abilities. The cost of admission to such venues can be restrictive. Single ticket prices range from $26 to $40, a considerable expense for families wishing to experience these exhibitions together. This pricing model highlights a big challenge in making immersive and interactive art accessible to a broader audience. 

This immersive approach reshapes the traditional interaction between participants and artwork, creating a more intimate and engaging experience. However, creators and exhibitors of digital-based immersive and interactive art must think of an inclusive approach to ensure these multi-sensory installations are accessible and resonant for a diverse audience.