Now you can experience death in virtual reality

Huge modeling A morgue-like room was created by Australian artist Sean Gladwell in the painting Passing Electrical Storms at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

Gladwell is known for his video art work, which explores themes such as movement, time, and space. His latest project, Electrical Storms Passing, is a virtual reality installation that simulates the experience of dying from a heart attack and the out-of-body experience.

In “Passing Electrical Storms”, the participants lie in a medical bed and wear a virtual reality headset that guides them through a scenario of cardiac arrest, resuscitation, brain death, and transcendence. The VR environment is based on real medical data and technology, as well as Gladwell’s personal experience and NDE research. The installation aims to create a meditative yet immersive experience that challenges participants’ perceptions of reality and mortality.

Gladwell described the experience as “walking away from yourself and then swimming in a giant universe” in an interview with The Australian this week.

“Modeling death as an experience in its final moments, it is a meditation on the ephemeral nature of individual life,” Gladwell said. “For me, it’s not all gloomy, but rather a spectrum of colors and moods.”

A member uploaded their experience to TikTok:

“What happens is that you lie down, the bed vibrates, you lie down on the floor, there are more doctors than you, you can see yourself through glasses, and they are trying to revive you,” he explained. “It doesn’t work out, then you swim past some, in space, and yes, it continues, but I won’t spoil everything.”

Gladwell claims he was inspired by his fascination with storms, which he sees as a metaphor for the sublime and ephemeral. He also states that he wanted to use virtual reality as a vehicle to explore the potential for immersive storytelling and artistic expression. He collaborated with ABC producer Leo Faber and Deakin University’s Motion Lab to develop virtual reality hardware and software.

Electrical Storms Passing is one of the most innovative and provocative pieces of art at Melbourne Now, running through June 2023. More than 100 artists and groups from different fields and directions are taking part in the exhibition, presenting their works in different formats and styles. sites throughout the city. The exhibition aims to celebrate the diversity and creativity of the Melbourne art scene and engage the public in a dialogue about contemporary themes and ideas.