We Are Here
Long COVID
OBJECTIVE
Long COVID - We Are Here! is a fearless exploration into the long-haul experience aiming to raise awareness, compel an international, funded research agenda, advocate for a global repository of open access articles, resources, therapeutics & treatment strategies as well as urge widespread physician training and patient support.
The virtual reality exhibition unites in solidarity with other debilitating and frequently dismissed syndromes ME/CFS for increased visibility and support.
Exhibition Discussion & Planning
PUTTING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER
An open call from Relational Space Gallery yielded an incredible lineup of accomplished artists and scientists from the US, UK and Germany. During February-April 2021 these twelve talented individuals met in three, 90-minute, facilitated Zoom sessions and a virtual exhibition was assembled. A third of the participants were struggling with Long COVID and one participant has endured ME/CFS for 14 years.
As the the architect of the exhibition, I modeled the environments dreamt up by the participants into seven virtual galleries using the Unity game engine and two gallery rooms were represented through edited 360 Videos. Digital art elements, data sets and audio anecdotes contributed by each collaborator were integrated as show pieces in the exhibition. The narrative flow was sequenced with 3DVista Virtual Tour creation software.
Participant Art Gallery Room #8
FINAL PRODUCT
The creativity and vision of the participants was evident from the beginning. The project was undertaken with compassionate focus, agile thinking and an enduring spirit of activism.
The co-curated immersive WebVR exhibition is accessible via Oculus Quest and on mobile & desktop browsers at Long COVID: We Are Here!
In October 2021, with the support of City Artist Corps Grant presented by The New York Foundation for the Arts Relational Space hosted a panel discussion with the twelve international Scientists and Artists who co-curated the show as well as preeminent Physicians and Researchers in the field of Long COVID and ME/CFS and a real-time walkthrough of the virtual reality installation.