Helsinki Photo Festival brought David Lynch's photography exhibition Infinite Deep to Finland in the autumn of 2022. The world-famous film director's most eager fans could get in the mood with a sneak peek online art exhibition.
| Client | Helsinki Photo Festival |
| XR production | Arilyn, Virtual Art Gallery |
"Infinite Deep presents David Lynch as the most important visual artist of our time. The focus lies on his photographic works, showcasing Lynch's long and important artistic career, allowing the visitor to meet David Lynch's versatility within the photograph for the very first time.
The works are exhibited with a red artistic thread, which takes the spectators on a thought-provoking journey. They challenge, provoke and invite the inquisitive visitor to enter a subtle visual world," Helsinki Photo Festival described in a press release.
Read more about the physical exhibition here.
A taste of the physical photography exhibition online
A sneak peek of the Infinite Deep exhibition was launched online as a promotion.
The Infinite Deep online exhibition displays a few of Lynch's photos in a Lynch-like virtual space. The online photography exhibition was launched to promote the actual exhibition two weeks before opening.
The online art exhibition offers insight into Lynch's work and the physical exhibition in a new content form. The immersive experience displays art online as it should - in a familiar spatial context and as a collection.
"Working with David Lynch's artwork was, in a way, a dream come true for us. In his movies and art, Lynch trifles with collateral realities. Our online spaces have this same kind of continuum: another world is built next to the physical one, which is separate but still linked to the real world," Arilyn's Creative Director Otso Kähönen describes the online experience.
Helsinki Photo Festival's Artistic Director Rafael Rybczynski thinks the online exhibition succeeded in offering a taste of the physical in a new way.
"Certainly, the project was a success. It has reached newer and younger audiences who spend much more time online and in the Metaverse. We were very delighted but also surprised by what the Arilyn platform can actually do", Rybczynski said.
Making art more accessible
Art exhibitions are great at giving us new perspectives and peace from all the noise that is our busy world. However, they have a few downsides when considering the availability and accessibility of digital content - they are restricted to one physical location and specific opening times.
Online art exhibitions change that. They are open everywhere in the world at all times.
Artists can now more easily display their work, attract larger audiences, and make more possibilities for more business. Art lovers can more easily discover new artists to follow and new art to acquire.
For example, in the case of the Infinite Deep online exhibition, Helphoto can tease David Lynch's fans with valuable content before opening the physical exhibition.
The online exhibition is easily accessible with a mobile device, a desktop, or VR glasses, and doesn't require app downloads or registrations.
Marketing art is at a crossroads
Promoting and marketing art has long been stuck with plain images listed side by side on static websites. They don't serve art, and especially not art exhibitions.
Online art exhibitions with Virtual Art Gallery offer the familiarity of physical ones - a space and a curated collection. They offer art enthusiasts a new platform to explore and experience art, and artists to share their work online in a way that engages audiences.
And, as we know, reaching audiences in the modern era is quite challenging.
"It's not enough to use only social media advertisements. The younger generations, known for spending much more time online than people from 40+, can learn and discover new trends and indulge in art through this medium. This gives them a new way to participate but also stimulates their creativity. For example, liking and sharing art exhibitions with like-minded friends helps reach more audiences than through classical channels", Rybczynski wonders.
Especially with such a delicate yet crucial matter as art, the ability to renew is vital. But, as always, no single medium or channel can solve all the marketing issues.
"Art creates emotions and has a strong standing in society. In some or other forms, art will always exist and prevail. There are many different options and models applied nowadays to promote and market art. We clearly see that extended reality (XR) solutions are a very good tool for storytelling and exploring new sensations. XR is definitely a part of future marketing solutions.
However, to reach the masses or target audience, the best option, in our opinion at present times, is to use outdoor advertising with a collection of the latest technologies available and many locations to sneak into people's minds with the product (art exhibition)", Rybczynski explains.
To implement extended reality into your art marketing mix, go check Virtual Art Gallery.
