“Being Here and Now” in Virtual Reality Performance: Interview with Kwon Hayoun

by Kyueun Kim*

In early 2024, Apple launched its long-anticipated virtual reality (VR) headset, Vision Pro, and marketed it as “The ultimate theatre. Wherever you are.” This claim echoed Ivan Sutherland’s vision of “the ultimate display” (1965), which laid the groundwork for contemporary developments in head-mounted displays. In recent years, VR and immersive technologies have increasingly become part of contemporary art and performance festivals, while weaving into the fabric of our daily lives, particularly accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. How might VR open up new dramaturgical possibilities for participatory performance? Can VR performance be grounded in physical movements and embodiments of performers and participants?

Kwon Hayoun (b. 1981), a South Korean media artist based in France, provides a compelling lens through which to explore these questions in her participatory VR works.[1] Her practice often navigates the connections and frictions between reality and fiction, historic events, and personal memories. In collaboration with the VR studio, Innerspace VR, where she is a co-founder, her works bring otherwise inaccessible spaces, times, and personal narratives to life. For instance, her first VR film, 489 Years (2016), transports viewers to the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea, through the memories of a South Korean soldier who served in the region. Over time, her VR works have placed greater emphasis on physical interactivity, or free roaming, where the viewer’s participation becomes integral to the experience. The virtual world unfolds as the viewer walks—through an apartment filled with exotic birds in The Bird Lady (2017) or along the streets of 1930s Seoul under Japanese occupation in Kubo, Walks the City (2021)—animating spaces rich with memory and history.

Kwon Hayoun. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

This interview focuses on XXth Attempt toward the Potential of Magic (2021, hereafter The Potential of Magic), Kwon’s first collaboration with professional performers for VR. This participatory VR performance was commissioned for and presented at the Project Gallery of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul as part of MMCA Performing Arts 2021: Multiverse, curated by Sung Yonghee. The performance took place in an intimate setting with a small group of five people—two performers and up to three participants—in a closed gallery space. As participants donned VR headsets one by one with a slight time delay, they discovered themselves engaged in an unexpected duet with one of the performers. These performers mimicked the participants’ movements and gestures in real time, transforming them into improvised choreography that bridged the virtual and the physical realms. This awareness of the duet emerged at different moments for each participant—some realized it before putting on the headset, whereas others only became aware of it afterward.

I used inter-view as a methodology to “see between” and “see each other” across layered physical and virtual realities. Whereas VR performance often promises an individualized experience, inter-view provides a relational and intersubjective framework. My conversations with Kwon were conducted as part of the project “VR for Theatre Research and Archiving,” supported by the 2022–2023 Theatre and Technology Fellowship at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. For this project, I used VR technology to interview VR artists. 

The interview with Kwon took place at the VR Research Archive Gallery, a virtual space I created and dedicated to The Potential of Magic on a VR platform Spatial. Accessible via VR headsets or the web, the gallery featured collections of photographs, images, and quotes organized by interview topics: the main lobby (the work and artist), the right wing (inspiration and references), and the left wing (archiving). Serving as both a memory space and an archive for my interviews with Kwon Hayoun, the gallery left behind a digital footprint of our exchange.

A performance scene from XXth Attempt toward the Potential of Magic, featuring two performers and three participants wearing VR headsets. Photo: Courtesy of MMCA Performing Arts

Unlike the vision of the future promoted by marketing strategies, such as Apple’s Vision Pro mentioned earlier, the interview process highlighted VR technology’s “nonseamless” nature. It underscored the importance of collaboration in addressing technical challenges and material conditions, including unexpected glitches, a point Kwon also emphasized during the interview. Because these issues, only part of our conversations took place using VR headsets in Spatial VR. We then transitioned to its web version, interacting as avatars via voice chat. The following interview transcript has been edited from the longer recordings of the interviews and translated from Korean to English.

Inter-View with Kwon Hayoun (Date: April 2023)

Kyueun Kim: You’ve incorporated theatrical and choreographic elements into your works. For example, you used choreography from Samuel Beckett’s Quad 1 (1981) in Model Village (2014). However, XXth Attempt toward the Potential of Magic marks your first collaboration with performers. Could you share more about the collaboration process with the dancers during production? How did the collaboration develop, and were there any differences or difficulties due to the characteristics of VR?

Kwon Hayoun: It was my first time working with performers, so I was cautious. Because the experience of the work may change depending on the audience engagement, the composition of the space was given careful consideration. I noticed a significant difference between [virtual] 3D video and [physical] reality. As you might know, 3D images are “hollow.” They don’t have the physical limitations that tangible objects do. In this sense, they’re the opposite of “being alive.” The Potential of Magic was an attempt to connect the human body (which reacts sensitively to environments and has a lot of individual differences) to virtual objects. It felt like connecting opposite poles.

How did you approach the rehearsal process for The Potential of Magic? Were there any challenges due to the pandemic, and how did it influence the development of the work?

The time allotted for rehearsals with performers was limited. The practice period lasted approximately 2–3 weeks prior to the exhibition. During the first part of the rehearsal, the performers were physically present at the museum. But unfortunately, I had to quarantine because of COVID-19 regulations for international travel. So we did the first rehearsal on a virtual platform. Once the quarantine period was over, I was finally able to join them in person and practice.

When I designed the virtual world to be accessible via the VR headset, I accounted for the presence of performers and developed their choreography in the virtual world. But even though the choreography had already been created in this sense, the performers were still able to adjust their movements and make interventions based on various audience movements during the live performance. They were unfamiliar with VR technology. If I had a little more time, we could have spent some time getting comfortable and familiar with VR. First, I demonstrated to the performers how the virtual space looked and how the audience would move within it. As the performers’ understanding improved, from the perspective of the audience, it became much easier for them to understand the virtual space. Following that, they were paired, one as an audience and one as a performer, and created spontaneous movements as if they were “in conversation.”

The Potential of Magic was commissioned for the MMCA Performing Arts: Multiverse program. When I attended, another VR performance by Seo Hyun-suk was also on view alongside yours. Did the museum provide specific guidelines or requirements for using VR as a medium in your performance? What kind of technical support did you receive from it?

The museum did not have the staff to provide such technical support for the exhibition. Because of strict COVID-19 restrictions at the time, the number of people allowed in the exhibition space was limited. This, however, aligned well with my intended direction for the performance as I wanted only a small group of people to participate in each time slot. I had a brief meeting with the museum’s administration and explained that only five people would enter at a time—two performers and three participants or audience members. I was asked why I didn’t present the work to a larger audience. But thanks to the safety precautions, I was able to present the work as I had intended. In the end, I believe the timing worked well for the performance.

A zoomed-out view of the vibrant 3D virtual world. As participants walk across the space and complete a series of tasks, the mechanical systems become animated. Photo: Courtesy of MMCA Performing Arts

Although The Potential of Magic was conceptualized before the pandemic, the safety regulations at the time complemented the work’s tone and structure. Looking back, many performances I saw during that period were for smaller audiences or solo performances. Because there were fewer people in The Potential of Magic, I think a stronger sense of intimacy and relationships could be formed between performers and participants.

Yes, I agree with that.

When I had a conversation with the performer, Ryu JeongMoon, she brought up an interesting point. She mentioned that there were plans to invite a larger audience who may just watch the performance without being a participant wearing a VR headset. She also hinted that The Potential of Magic might have the opportunity to be showcased in front of a larger audience like in an auditorium. I’m curious to know more about these aspects.

Many people around me were perplexed at the time. They told me that many artists are producing their works on virtual platforms and wondered why I am moving backward and working with performers stuck in limited physical settings. But as the pandemic went on, the idea of “being here and now” became more important for me. There have been proposals to hold more shows elsewhere, but they have all been canceled because of a variety of factors. There was also a suggestion to expand the scope of the work to a larger performance format. But because of constraints such as time, budget, and planning, I was unable to explore it. So now I’m keeping the work itself as it was first shared with the audience.

How do you collaborate with the VR studio, Innerspace VR, and the team throughout the process?

I work alongside a team of technicians. Our collaborative process involves several stages. First, I develop the work’s structure or concept. Then, we assess the technical feasibility of implementing the concept. For instance, if we aim to incorporate hand tracking, we need to determine the hand’s range of motion, the speed at which it can be accurately captured, and whether any errors occur because of fast movements causing hand slips. Once we have tested these components, we proceed to create a prototype. Once we have a prototype up and running and have it tested, we start identifying potential hiccups in the process. This includes figuring out if there are any errors when moving from point A to point B or if there are issues with the space setup. Currently, in video games that use controllers, the space configuration isn’t as restricted. But for installation works where the audience physically moves around, we have to design the virtual space with their physical movement in mind.

All these considerations become even more crucial when multiple audience members participate together because everyone has their own unique range of movement. So we are mindful of the audience’s location and timing when designing the space. This is why, during the prototyping process, we begin developing some form of choreography. Once prototyping is complete, we move on to refining the animation, texture, lighting, music, and other elements until we’re ready to unveil the final show.

I assumed you were collaborating on technical aspects, but it sounds like you worked with the team throughout the process.

Yes, collaboration is important throughout. I think the idea of what an artist is has really changed in recent years. It’s not just about those traditional notions of artists or painters doing everything on their own anymore. The definition of art and the role of artists have expanded, and collaborating with others has become more common. VR is an experiential medium, so what you envision in your mind doesn’t always seamlessly translate into VR. Even if your concept is perfect on paper, it’s never quite as you imagined once brought into the virtual realm. It was tough for me to accept that imperfection at first. But in the end, it’s crucial to recognize it, make adjustments, and test results that may differ from what I initially expected. I’m not a religious person, but I once described this entire process as akin to a religious practice in one interview. It requires an immense amount of patience.

Close-up shot of a performer (left), mimicking the hand gesture of a participant (right) wearing a VR headset. Photo: Courtesy of MMCA Performing Arts

What did you envision when you thought of a magical moment? After participating in The Potential of Magic, I became curious about the performer’s experience and felt a deep sense of intimacy toward Ryu, who mimicked my gestures, even though I couldn’t see her while wearing the VR headset. This curiosity led me to reach out and speak with her. In our conversation, we both agreed that these magical moments emerge from the emotional connection between the virtual and physical realms.

That was exactly my intention! I wanted to present something vivid, something alive in VR, creating a space where performers’ and participants’ emotions could intertwine to form a memorable experience. I think the unpredictability and rarity of these moments of connection make them even more memorable. They are not tangible emotions, but rather fleeting ones. I know I can’t always make them happen, even though I long for them. The title of this work encapsulates [my aspiration toward] these fleeting moments.

In The Potential of Magic, one of my primary focuses was on audience movements as they experienced the work with VR headsets on. While many VR works often treat these movements as insignificant, I wanted to transform them into elements of an improvisational performance, like the art of traces and lingering. I drew inspiration from sequential photographs by Eadweard Muybridge (1830–1904), which capture the continued motions of subjects (e.g., a horse) through time lapses. In my work, instead of presenting a single subject in one environment, I presented movements from different subjects in different, both physical and virtual, spaces. So more than viewing these movements as mere choreographic gestures, I saw them as mediators, fostering connections between performers and participants. As you delve into the work, both performers and participants often find their roles shifting, which can leave some with lingering questions. I’ve always hoped that participants wouldn’t walk away with a straightforward understanding of the work. Instead, I wanted their experience to spark more curiosity. Everyone engages with the piece at their own pace, so there are even moments when all three participants are wearing VR headsets. Performers shared that in those moments, they felt a bit adrift, questioning their actions and roles, because there was no one watching them dance.

[Indicating a photo in the corner of the Gallery] Shall we walk over and take a look at this photo? I’ve seen The Bird Lady (2017) twice, but after reading an interview where you discussed the piece, I was surprised. It was clear that the virtual world of the Bird Lady’s house expanded and came to life as I moved through the different corners of the rooms. But I hadn’t realized that walking “backward” would make the narrative flow in reverse. It was such a revelation. I’ve experienced VR artworks multiple times in different contexts and understood that they can offer more than just a linear journey, but the idea of moving backward never occurred to me at the time. In contrast, The Potential of Magic seems to embrace and facilitate this type of nonlinear exploration more naturally.

I remember observing the audience’s movements as they experienced The Bird Lady wearing VR headsets. I was struck by how beautiful each step was, as if they were stepping into an unknown world. It also made me think that perhaps these are primal gestures of humanity. Such spontaneous movements felt poetic. So in my subsequent VR work, Peach Garden (2019), I expanded on this concept of movement. I wanted to give the audience the freedom to wander and explore a large space more openly, inviting them into unknown realms—spaces of imagination. In this sense, The Bird Lady was especially important to me because it allowed me to imagine connecting the virtual and physical realms.

Screenshot of the VR Research Archive Gallery, accessed via web, capturing the view of the main lobby. Kwon Hayoun’s photo is displayed on the left, with a poster for the Multiverse program on the right. At the center stands Kyueun Kim’s avatar, with selfies of Kim and Kwon’s avatars visible in the background

On a personal note, I experienced The Potential of Magic during the COVID-19 era, after my 14-day quarantine following international travel from New York. During that time, there were many moments when I felt alone, and the sense of time and place felt out of sync. I also played around with my newly bought VR headset a lot, using it for workouts. I think this sense of isolation and spatial-temporal disorientation heightened my emotional responses to the work. In The Potential of Magic, I was the only human in the vast virtual space. But I felt touched by the sense that someone was watching over me while I wore the VR headset, even though they weren’t always visible. Within the show, it’s the performer or another audience member observing my fumbling movements. On a deeper level, though, it could symbolize someone in society, spirits, or even a divine presence, taking care of you. In that sense, the performance brought me some solace and hope.

Thank you for sharing your personal reflections on the piece. In my work, I place great emphasis on fostering a personal experience. I believe that when the audience undergoes such a personal connection, the meaning of the artwork is fully realized.

Let’s explore VR as an artistic medium. Art historian Oliver Grau (1999) described VR as taking us “into the belly of the image,” while theater scholar Sita Popat (2016) characterized it as an “experiential medium.” Artists have also offered their interpretations: Taiwanese artist Hsin-Chien Huang referred to his VR as “spiritual media” or “the media from the soul” in an interview with the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.[2] How would you describe VR as a medium?

I think VR is a medium that can craft a truly personal experience. To me, this is the most important aspect of VR: how an experience is communicated to each individual. Your comments beautifully capture this personal nuance.

Screenshot from the interview at the VR Research and Archive Gallery, featuring avatars of Kim and Kwon in conversation

The final question is about archiving VR work. What were the main topics of discussion with art museums, curators, fellow artists, and VR studios regarding the archiving of VR artworks? And even though there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution yet, can you envision your ideal archive?

That’s a challenging question, but an important one. I think it’s a question that resonates with not only me but all artists who work with new media. I think the best approach would be to establish conditions where the VR artwork can be preserved and maintained in its original state of presentation. On a personal note, I was once interviewed as a candidate for an award, and one interviewer stated that all my [media] work would eventually disappear. If I don’t maintain it properly, their words might unfortunately come true. So I’ve given considerable thought to the archiving of VR artworks. 

During the collection process, I communicated with the collection team about how to present the artwork and handle potential damage. I provided them with a detailed breakdown of the work, including photographs, equipment specifications, timelines, video captures, related museum documentation, and even a record of challenges encountered during performances and their solutions. Nonetheless, despite our careful preparation, there’s still a chance we may not be able to present the work as originally intended because of unforeseen damage or technological changes. That said, what I can do for archiving is gather as much information as possible and convey it thoroughly. Last, because art is no longer confined to sculpture and painting, I think it’s important to envision art spaces that are better suited for displaying media or VR works.

Scene sketch video of Kwon Hayoun’s XXth Attempt toward the Potential of Magic as part of MMCA Performing Arts 2021: Multiverse

Endnotes

[1] The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), currently features two VR works by Kwon Hayoun. Kubo, Walks the City is part of Transport to Another World, an exhibition co-organized by MMCA and the National Film Board of Canada to celebrate the 2024–2025 Korea-Canada Year of Cultural Exchanges, running until February 16, 2025. Kwon is also selected as a recipient of the Korea Artist Prize 2024, an annual program supporting four artists with resources and exhibition opportunities. As part of this award, Kwon presents her new VR work, The Guardians of Jade Mountain (2024), which will be on display through March 23, 2025.

[2] Hsin-Chien Huang is known for his work in VR and media, including Chalkroom, a collaboration with Laurie Anderson that won the Best VR Experience Award at the 2017 Venice International Film Festival. 


*Kyueun Kim | 김규은 is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore, working on archipelagic mapping and archiving of Asian performance histories and intercultural exchanges. She holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance from The Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her research lies at the intersection of Asian theatre and performance, virtual reality and immersive media, critical posthumanism, and Inter-Asian cultural studies.

Copyright © 2024 Kyueun Kim
Critical Stages/Scènes critiques, #30, Dec. 2024
e-ISSN: 2409-7411

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