Celebrated Japanese artist Shu Yamamoto has partnered with HTC’s virtual reality (VR) application platform Viveport to launch the “Step into Cat Art” virtual exhibition, adding a new dimension to his work by allowing cat characters in static paintings to “come to life” in VR for the first time. This unique experience kicks off Friday, September 17 and will run through March 31, 2022.
The showcase will feature virtual versions of all 124 pieces of Yamamoto’s The Hisstine Chapel murals for the first time and will also include world-renowned pieces such as Mewna Lisa and The Kitty with the Pearl Earring. The CAT ART virtual exhibition allows multiple visitors to enter the same venue at the same time for a lively, immersive virtual exhibition experience. In addition, the exhibition supports cross-device viewing on any mobile, PC, or VR device.
Further breaking down the walls between art and reality, a cat Instagram filter will launch for iOS and Android devices, allowing people to create their own adaptations of CAT ART, featuring the faces of their own pet cats. The Viveport technical team had helped Yamamoto redesign his classical cat paintings to include dynamic movement, audio details and interactive elements, making the VR pieces jump out of the frame of the canvas.
“Viveport’s mission is to enrich people culturally in VR across art, games and video, and in doing so continue to grow and expand the robust VIVE Metaverse worldwide. It’s incredible seeing how immersion can completely change the way you experience a moment, whether that’s appreciating artwork, watching a story or playing a game,” said Joseph Lin, President of Viveport.
In conjunction with the CAT ART virtual exhibition launch, Viveport will also launch its NFT store on September 17, 2021 to sell NFTs representing CAT ART pieces. The Viveport NFT store will support both fiat, ETH and Matic payments, providing consumers with more friendly and intuitive digital transaction options.
“Our collaboration with Shu Yamamoto’s CAT ART is a fantastic example of combining art with VR and NFTs in a continued expansion of the Metaverse. We hope to convey the unique cat perspective envisioned by Shu Yamamoto through this exhibition, and ultimately provide visitors with a unique and immersive viewing and shopping experience,” said Lin.
Step into Cat Art is organized by HTC Viveport, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. and udnFunLife. Partners are Acoustiguide, LAWSON TICKET and Immersive VR Education Ltd.
Tickets are available now for $7.99 USD / 6.99 EUR (price may vary based on region and currency rates).
