TAS town brings virtual reality to mural festival

ABC NEWS (Australia)

It started off as a work around the pandemic. Now, virtual reality is becoming part of Mural Fest's future direction. Organisers hope curious citizens and established artists alike will engage with this form of mural painting, and there are grand plans to take it worldwide.

Transcript

00:00 The town of murals is doing things differently.

00:05 Sheffield has unlocked virtual reality mural painting,

00:08 fitting artists with headsets and kitting them with a virtual paintbrush palette and easel.

00:13 It has a scope for anybody to come in and have a go and experiment and just have that experience

00:20 in a three-dimensional environment where you really feel like you are there.

00:24 It started as a way around COVID restrictions, but it's endured.

00:29 It's had a really good review from different people because it's new to them.

00:35 They're a little bit scared, they come in and have a bit of a go on it and once they've got onto it, they're hooked.

00:40 They might have their headsets on but you can see the lights behind their eyes just brighten up

00:45 and that in itself is awesome to watch.

00:52 The approach is challenging even the most accomplished.

00:56 I've certainly found myself absorbed and interested in it, got drawn into the process,

01:01 but it's a little bit frustrating, sort of like when you try and brush your teeth with the wrong hand.

01:07 Everything usually was really easy and natural, suddenly has this extra obstacle of difficulty.

01:14 There's a grand vision to project virtual murals at night, and print some on walls around the town,

01:20 and even hopes of going worldwide.

01:23 We're in a situation where an artist is doing street art in New York or London or wherever around the world,

01:29 it can be transmitted here and we can also have a paint-off here with local artists,

01:34 so it becomes engaging and also becomes a bit of a competition.

01:38 Now in its 20th year, Muralfest has about 130 murals in the area.

01:43 And while virtual reality is part of its future, it won't replace paint on the wall.

01:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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