From Illusion to Immersion: AR and VR in Contemporary Art - Paperback

by Mathias Jansson (Author)

This book explores how virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are reshaping contemporary art. From the pioneering visions of Jaron Lanier and the first VR headsets, to today's immersive works by artists such as Marina Abramovic, Rachel Rossin, KAWS, and Olafur Eliasson, it traces how artists have embraced new tools to expand the limits of perception. Through case studies of landmark exhibitions, public art projects, and experimental studios like Acute Art, the book shows how VR and AR have moved from museum curiosities to global platforms for storytelling, activism, and ecological reflection. It also examines how the pandemic accelerated access to digital art, and how the line between AR, VR, and immersive experience is increasingly dissolving. More than a history of technology, this is a story about art's oldest ambition: to transport us beyond the ordinary, to make us question reality, and to open new worlds-both imagined and real.