As the art world continues to adapt to our new virtual reality, these are the digital art platforms are offering the real – yet unreal – deal

Touch the ocean.jpg, from the Instagram of Cao Fei © Cao Fei, 2020NYUAD Art Gallery’s first digital experience explores self-expression in technology In NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery’s first foray into virtual exhibiting, no two experiences can ever be the same. Titled ‘not in, of, along, or relating to a line’, the show features new and existing work from the likes of Cao Fei, Sophia Al-Maria, Addie Wagenknecht, Eva and Franco Mattes and Lee Blalock. Curated by Heather Dewey-Hagborg and Maya Allison, the platform explores how each artist harnesses technology as a tool for self-expression, and the omnipresence of screen-based art during Covid-19. Some artists delve into how identities and histories are engineered in the virtual world. Others interrogate the power relations of technological tools, from virtual gaming and ‘big data’ consumer portraits to facial recognition software. Developed specifically for mobile devices, viewers can plunge into a digital landscape using their touchscreens to navigate from artwork to artwork - a journey that will be unique for each user. ‘not in, of, along, or relating to a line’ is available to experience until 10 July, 2021.nyuad-artgallery.orgWriter: Harriet Lloyd-Smith

Sebastian Nevols explores representations of the male body in Name no one manBringing together over 20 of London’s contemporary galleries to host exhibitions in Virtual Reality, The London Collective allows audiences to discover new artists and exhibitions while physical spaces remain closed. Hosted on Vortic Collect, a highlight is Sebastian Nevols’ series of tonal nudes ‘Name no one man’ which reimagines the representation of the male body within art history, opening on 24 March with Sid Motion gallery. Working with a wide range of artist models, Nevols explains that the process was similar to the gesture of drawing as both bodily positions were composed and lighting was carefully constructed. The resulting images are mirrors to ourselves; as viewers we bring our own bodily experience to Nevols’ enigmatic forms. sidmotiongallery.co.ukvortic.artWriter: Sophie Gladstone

Flashpoints, 2013-ongoing. © Philip Montgomery / courtesy of the artistFoam Talent 2020 enters the virtual realm In previous years the acclaimed Foam Talent’s exhibition has travelled internationally. However, current circumstances have called for a fresh approach and the exhibition has been reworked into a unique digital showcase in which the nineteen selected photographers each convey meaningful messages about our world today. Video, soundscapes, interviews and music accompany the diverse works. Instinctive to scroll through, the platform offers powerful insight into the future of photography as talent from across Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Africa unite. talent.foam.orgWriter: Sophie Gladstone

World on a Wire looks to the future of digital technologies in artLongtime artworld supporter Hyundai has partnered with art organisation Rhizome of the New Museum to support innovative digital art endeavours and exhibitions through to 2022. Virtual in both medium and platform, the debut exhibition, World on a Wire, recently debuted through a digital experience, as well as being presented physically at the Hyundai Motorstudio in Beijing. The mixed-media exhibition showcases the works of 11 global artists who share an interest in emergent born-digital technologies like VR. The work of Pete Jiadong Qiang, for instance, combines physical space with virtual environments experienced through a headset. Writer: Elly Parsons

Sammy Yip, Neon cow sign, Sammy’s Kitchen, circa 1978, neon light, zinc, steel, and paint. M+, Hong Kong. Gift of Sammy’s Kitchen, 2013. © Sammy’s Kitchen LtdM+ offers diverse digital experiences as its physical museum nears completionM+ invites viewers to travel virtually through the ever-evolving contemporary art scene of Hong Kong and beyond. Its bilingual digital storytelling platform, ‘M+ Stories’, features a range of blog posts, videos and digital commissions related to the museum, which is scheduled to open in early 2021. This includes an online presentation of the Sigg Collection, featuring 271 contemporary artworks created between 1972 and 2012. A separate digital exhibition, ‘Neonsigns.hk’, is devoted to a disappearing element of the urban landscape: since 2013, M+ has been salvaging neon signs removed by the government over safety concerns. Presented anew, the signs are now accompanied by essays, films and artist commissions. Elsewhere, data-driven creative Shirley Wu fuses her love of art, maths and code to develop a mesmerising interactive web visualisation that celebrates Hong Kong’s female artists, while demonstrating their underrepresentation online.mplus.org; instagram/mplusmuseumWriter: Diane Theunissen

Joanna Rajkowska, The Hatchling. Photography: Vassilis SkopelitisA new interactive map allows viewers to walk The Line, online We’re all becoming accustomed to spending less time outdoors, but one initiative is bringing the experience of a sculpture trail onto our screens. To celebrate its fifth anniversary, The Line – London’s first dedicated public art walk – has launched an intuitive, interactive map by design practice, Burgess and Beech. Along the way, virtual ramblers can make pit stops for insight on the rich heritage and abundant flora and fauna to be found along waterways, home to more than 50 species of bird. Running from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to the O2, The Line currently has ten sculptures in situ, including Gary Hume’s Liberty Grip, Anish Kapoor’s ArcelorMittal Orbit (the UK’s tallest sculpture) and Joanna Rajkowska’s The Hatchling. The initiative hosts new interviews (filmed from home) with artists who have worked with The Line over the past five years including Antony Gormley, Joanna Rajkowska and Alex Chinneck. Offering some light at the end of the tunnel, The Line will also announce new collaborations for later this year, with artists including Eva Rothschild and Anne Hardy. the-line.org; instagram/thelinelondonWriter: Harriet Lloyd-Smith

‘Stacked’ table, Sabine Marcelis’ virtual background for Got Your BackGot Your Back livens up the working from home environment With online business meetings surging in popularity, Dutch creative agency Staat has gathered a group of established and emerging creatives to create virtual backdrops, available to use for free in a wide range of video conference applications such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. We’re particularly fond of the backdrops by 2020 Wallpaper* Designer of the Year Sabine Marcelis, which feature her ’Stacked’ table and Candy Cubes. Other headline contributors include landscape designer Piet Oudolf, who selected a picture of his garden in Hummelo, and photographers Iwan Baan and Romain Laprade, who respectively submitted images of the interior Le Corbusier’s Convent Sainte-Marie de la Tourette and a seashell-shaped synagogue in Tel Aviv. Titled ‘Got Your Back’, the project provides design enthusiasts with a new opportunity to share great art and architecture while sprucing up their work routines. Voluntary donations raised through ‘Got Your Back’ go towards the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. gotyourback.space Writer: Diane Theunissen

Not Vital’s Artist’s Palate recipe, ’plain in pigna’, originally featured in the November 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*224). Photography: Felicity McCabe. Interiors: Matthew Morris. Food: Iain Graham. Artwork: Not Vital, Pelvis, 2008. Stainless steel. 386 x 341 x 146 cm. Edition of 3 plus 2 AP (#2/3). Photography: Filippo Simonetti. Courtesy the artist. Portrait of Not Vital by Beny Steiner.Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac’s cross-platform initiative feeds the mind  Since social distancing began, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac has done anything but sit still. With its cross-platform digital initiative, the gallery sheds new light on its roster of artists, revives archival material and recreates physical exhibitions online. Its weekly newsletter, ‘From The Studio’ features virtual studio visits and ‘culinary art’, sourced in part from Wallpaper’s Artist’s Palate series, with featured recipes from the likes of Robert Longo, Tom Sachs and Not Vital. The ‘Artist Eye’ video series – including Antony Gormley and Liza Lou – sees an artist select and discuss an object of inspiration. Over on Instagram live, the gallery’s senior global director, Julia Peyton-Jones hosts ‘Tea with Julia’ each Saturday, a succession of in-depth conversations with prominent art figures. An extension of Harun Farocki and Hito Steyerl’s exhibition ‘Life Captured Still’ will be staged online, highlighting seminal works from their recent London show. As curators, Antje Ehmann and Carles Guerra say, ‘Harun and Hito devised in advance a kind of work with images in which the human presence was already vanishing, and yet the discursive impact would be progressively assumed as part of the work.’ Julia Peyton-Jones will be in conversation with design critic and author Alice Rawsthorn on Instagram live at 11am (BST) on Saturday 2 May. ropac.net; instagram/thaddaeusropacWriter:  Diane Theunissen

Artist Rashid Johnson’s #ColoringFromHome takeover on the RxART Instagram RxArt’s #ColoringFromHome Instagram initiative harnesses the restorative qualities of art Art has the power to heal, as American nonprofit organisation RxArt has demonstrated over the years. In addition to commissioning contemporary artists to bring beauty and joy to paediatric hospitals, they also publish an artist-designed colouring book every two years, both as a gift to young patients and a fundraising initiative. The colouring project has now gained a live dimension, called #ColoringFromHome, which sees artists from their roster host colouring sessions on Instagram Live, every weekday at 4PM EST. The colouring templates are free to download on RxArt’s website – among them are Alex Israel’s self portrait maze, the Haas Brothers’ playful creatures and Claudia Comte’s bunny ears. Some participating artists have even invited their young children to join in on the action; a recent takeover by Rashid Johnson and his son, Julius was a particularly heartwarming moment. Colouring has often been touted for its therapeutic properties; with #ColoringFromHome, this rings particularly true.rxart.net; instagram/rxartWriter: TF Chan

Exhibition view of  ‘Endless Story’ by Mihkel Ilus and Paul Kuimet. Photography: Paul Kuimet/Tallinn Art Hall 2020Tallinn Art Hall cuts through the noise to prioritise accessibility Driven by an aim to make art more accessible to their audience, the Estonian gallery has devised a simple yet innovative digital offering. You won’t find VR experiences 360-views here; instead, cinematography and interactive web applications immerse viewers in a ‘distinctly spatial and ambient experience’. Available for free, the platform offers current and past exhibitions – with live curator tours – and there are plans to host virtual exhibitions from the gallery’s forthcoming programme. Tallinn Art Hall’s most recent show, ‘Endless Story’ – comprising new work by Mihkel Ilus and Paul Kuimet – explores the ‘invisible systems that drive our world’ through a dialogue between painting and photography. New life has also been given to a past exhibition, ‘Disarming Language: disability, communication, rupture’ which draws together activists, writers and artists to imagine disability beyond a stigmatised ‘condition’. A digital guide supporting sign language has now been integrated into the virtual exhibition. kunstihoone.eeWriter: Diane Theunissen

Lamya Gargash, Sahwa, BW Untitled, 2019. Courtesy of The Third LineFor Alserkal Art Week, the show must go on-lineThe physical iteration of Alserkal Art Week, due to take place from 23 to 28 March in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue cultural quarter, was cancelled. But through the collective effort of the district’s community of galleries, the resistant initiative didn’t call it quits and instead transformed the event into a large-scale, immersive art spectacular. 17 galleries have restaged their offerings through interactive 360-view technology to keep a global audience captivated from the safety of their homes, alongside opportunities to meet the minds behind the art through custom video content and interviews. Notable highlights are dizzying geometric Op Art pieces by Mohamed Melehi and Shaikha Al Mazrou at Lawrie Shabibi and The Third Line’s surreal and captivating presentation of photographic work by Lamya Gargash. alserkal.online; instagram/alserkalavenueWriter: Harriet Lloyd-Smith

Liu Ye, Catherine Deneuve, 2012. Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 45 cm. Private Collection, Beijing. Photography: Roberto Marossi; courtesy of Fondazione Prada Milano Fondazione Prada looks inwards and outwards for its virtual presence On the back of show postponements, the Milan institution has amped up its virtual presence, offering a visual lab of creativity to keep the inspiration flowing. Across platforms including Vimeo, Youtube, Facebook and the website, Fondazione Prada is forming virtual exhibition experiences, opening up the archives, presenting video projects and more. ‘Inner Views’ takes a visual dive into three recently-opened exhibitions: ‘Storytelling’, by Chinese painter Liu Ye, ‘K’, a multi-platform exhibition inspired by three uncompleted Franz Kafka novels and ‘The Porcelain Room’, exploring the historical significance of Chinese-exported porcelain. Here, the institution thinks beyond the gallery experience, offering new interviews and videos encouraging intimate engagement with the exhibitions and the creative minds behind them. In ‘Outer Views’, the foundation transcends physical and virtual walls, documenting the curatorial contribution of Collezione Prada, including recent loans for major retrospectives of Donald Judd, Bruce Nauman and Richard Artschwager. fondazioneprada.org; instagram/fondazionepradaWriter: Harriet Lloyd-Smith

GALLERIES HYUNDAI INSTALLATIONS DIGITAL ART VIRTUAL REALITY FEATURES