Virtual Veronese

Innovative installation at the National Gallery using virtual reality to set a painting by Veronese into context.

As you may know I don’t like virtually reality exhibits but having heard a talk on this one I decided to give it a try and it is one of the best I’ve done.

It placed the painting back in the chapel for which it was painted and as it would have appeared at the date it was unveiled. You felt as if you were in that space with a soundtrack of monks chanting and the ambient noise of the space. You could choose from being introduced to the work by an avatar of the curator or a dialogue between the abbot who commissioned it and a monk from the order. It only lasted about ten minutes which is probably long enough to be in a virtually created world.

The experience was nicely managed by the staff with good explanations of how the head set worked and good advice to glasses wearers like me. Once in the room there was a one to one ratio of staff to punters to keep it safe.

It was a very clever approach but I’m not sure the experience  adds a lot even if the research for the piece did. The virtual painting is not as clear as looking at the original, shown here, in room 9. I guess if you have not seen altarpieces in context it does help to understand the work but given only nine people can experience it an hour I don’t think it’s going to change the world.

Closed 3 April 2022

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