VR installation: Fashion Beneath the Skin

3D experience: Social VR
Social VR is a completely new way to exhibit the archive. In this installation you are not alone in the virtual environment. Thanks to the video setup and the VR environment, two people can visit the virtual exhibition at the same time. With 3D glasses on and cameras all around you can see yourself and others in the 3D environment. Together you can view the details of the digitized garments up close. The selection of garments is specially chosen to tell the history of fashion and body image and because they would rarely be exhibited. These garments are either too old, too fragile or too poisonous to be exhibited outside the archive for a long period of time. This makes the ideal to be presented in this virtual reality installation. 

The Story: Fashion Beneath the Skin
In the 21st century, the fashion world has undergone a significant transformation when it comes to the relationship with our bodies. Moving away from the constrictions of corsets and other underwear, we now embrace garments that follow the natural contours of our bodies. We exercise, diet and go under the knife to shape our appearance. This change reflects a broader social development, such as women's emancipation, body positivity and gender neutrality, where inclusivity and self-acceptance are central. Technological developments, such as the development of synthetic substances, have also contributed to this shift.

Sound & Vision organizes this exhibition as part of the 5Dculture project, which is co-financed by the EU. The exhibition was created in collaboration with the Centraal Museum Utrecht, the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), the European Fashion Heritage Association, Modemuze and with designer Dylan Eno.

For more information about the Reformation dress in the image above, visit the collection of the Centraal Museum.