London’s grand Victoria and Albert Museum has created its first-ever VR event, a marvelous little preview for its highly anticipated exhibition Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, with special effects that bring the psychedelic wonders of the 19th century iconic novel to life. The free event will launch on October 22nd at 2pm GMT and will take place in a digital landscape inspired by the V&A’s amazing collections. Virtual visitors must enter the digital experience as avatars and will be able to interact with one another. There will also be a tour of the show by curator Kate Bailey through the exhibition’s five main sections, where objects from the show will materialize in the space, and the setting will transform with live effects. The event will also be broadcast live on the museum’s YouTube channel.

The V & A is also launching Curious Alice, a downloadable VR experience to support the exhibition. Illustrations by Icelandic artist Kristjana Williams made for the exhibition’s publication are animated and free to explore by visitors. The scenes depict Alice’s fantastic adventure, while the White Rabbit character is the visitor’s personal guide for the experience.

E.3796-2004
Poster
Cheshire Cat; ‘Cheshire cat’, psychedelic poster by Joseph McHugh, published by East Totem West. USA, 1967
Joseph McHugh
East Totem West; Orbit Graphic Arts
California
1967

When the physical exhibition opens on March 27,2021, the museum will launch another VR experience named A Curious Game of Croquet, for use on headsets within the exhibition.

In order to participate in the free launch event on October 22nd, virtual visitors must register and create an avatar before the launch, or join the event to be broadcast on the V&A’s YouTube channel.