During Decentraland’s third annual Metaverse Art Week, which took place from August 24th to 28th, curators explored innovative ways to utilize digital space and create interactive and lifelike art experiences.
The virtual festival in the metaverse world was inspired by the real-life Biennale art event, which showcases art in public spaces. At the physical festival, visitors can freely roam around spacious pavilions and various parts of the city to engage with artists and brands beyond the confines of traditional gallery walls.
Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro, the events and community producer for Decentraland, spoke to Cointelegraph about this year’s design concept.
Art galleries and exhibitions in the digital realm are not a new phenomenon. Companies like Spatial have already established digital nonfungible token (NFT) art galleries, and traditional art houses like Sotheby’s have been actively hosting NFT art events.
In Decentraland alone, there are six major art galleries hosted by renowned NFT marketplaces like Rarible, SuperRare, and KnownOrigin.
What sets this event apart is the way visitors can interact with the art. Decentraland anticipates significant engagement based on previous events like Metaverse Fashion Week, which attracted 108,000 unique visitors, according to the foundation.
The quality of metaverse events and avatars has become a prominent topic of discussion in the industry, particularly following feedback on the quality of avatars in events like Metaverse Fashion Week. Mark Zuckerberg of Meta recently faced criticism over the avatars available in their new digital experiences.
Casimiro emphasized that the Decentraland team prioritizes addressing this issue when developing events. One example of this is Opensea’s infinite gallery, where users can immerse themselves in an interactive hall of continuously moving art. According to the team, this mechanic is a first for the metaverse, and the community will have the opportunity to utilize it in the repository.
While digital art design can be captivating, accessibility remains a challenge for new users. Experts across the industry stress the importance of education in breaking down barriers to entry.
Casimiro explained to Cointelegraph that creating accessible and educational components in digital events is crucial for keeping users engaged.
Interactive art galleries, poetry readings, and digital performances are the next frontier in metaverse engagement. In July, metaverse infrastructure company Condense introduced new technology that allows live streaming of real-life events into the digital world.