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Virtual Reality Storytelling Brought Back with BAM Digital Showcase

New experience opening soon enables participants to craft imaginary shapes and experience 360-degree content on the exhibit’s roof.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is bringing back another edition of its interactive arts exhibit, with a few notable additions, to aid families to experience the newest technology innovations.

“Teknopolis” the annual event of the Brooklyn Academy of Music is set to launch soon. It will contain a great number of interactive showcases, including a new selection of virtual reality (VR) features meant for all individuals above the age of 9 years.

Credits: Rebecca Greenfield, provided by BAM

Titled as “TeknopolisTM + VR,” the latest experiences showcase 360-degree immersive films on the roof of the venue. A haiku exhibit enables participants to step into life-size avatars to perform a dance piece, and create pillow forts by manipulating the stars.

Steven McIntosh, Director of Education & Family Programs at BAM, is also the curator for Teknopolis. He expressed his insights regarding the event, stating that BAM is interested to collaborate with a great number of celebrated artists globally, to generate immersive encounters and breathtaking interactive experiences. He revealed that some of the experiences included generating synthesiser rhythms, dancing to choreographed content, and playing virtual reality sci-fi musical instruments. According to McIntosh, Teknopolis encourages creativity among individuals.

Credits: Rebecca Greenfield, provided by BAM

The entry sessions of Teknopolis are of two-hour slots and will be held on the upper floors of the BAM Fisher building, situated at 321 Ashland Place address. The participants who choose to avail the virtual reality (VR) features, must access the installations situated at a lower level. One of these features includes a program with animated graphical features and tracking abilities, to generate a ‘living mask’ from facial movements of users, or an experience involving shadow play.

The showcase this year includes many featured works, from a great number of artists and technology stalwarts, including  Molmol Kuo, Gilles Jobin, Cabbibo, Zach Lieberman, and tous les jours.

The Hillman Studio, a modern virtual reality (VR) dance exhibit, helps users step into full-scale avatars for interaction and physical communication with their close ones, in a variety of performance settings.

The closed rooftop of the venue will be utilised for screening 360-degree movies to immerse users, including “Crow: The Legend,” a feature with the starry cast of John Legend, Constance Wu, Oprah Winfrey, and Sonaria. ARcade is yet another feature set to be exhibited on the roof of the venue. It will enable participants to engross themselves with augmented reality applications such as FLARMINGOS. The FLARMINGOS application prompts users to create virtual dancing flamingos within a habitat.

The name ‘Teknopolis’, is derived from joining the Greek words – tekne (meaning art) and polis (meaning a model city). The event will open soon with dates including February 28, March 3, March 7 and March 10.

The ticket rates for the regular showcase are $16 (for 6-14-year-old children) and $21 (for adults). The TeknopolisTM + VR experience is priced at $35 (for 9-14-year-old children) and $45 (for adults).

Only ticket holders will be able to attend the event. More information can be found on the BAM website.

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