Mixed Realities

Mixed realities are now not only firmly anchored in the gaming industry, they have also long since found their place in the arts, reflecting an essential, almost existential role of art: the interpenetration of real and imaginary worlds. By creating illusions, scenarios and places that are created through interaction with technologies at the interface of analog and digital, entire parallel worlds, so-called metaverses, unfold. In these narratives, actions, sculptures and fantastic spaces, viewers can become participants and even virtual communities. Mixed reality works thus reflect our time, which is being transformed by digitalization and artificial intelligence. The physical and the real are increasingly merging into an augmented reality, taking us further towards the metaverse hyped by tech companies. Experiences of reality are becoming more and more 'phygital' - physical and digital at the same time. Haven't we long been living in a hybrid reality? This thematic volume presents multisensory mixed realities in the arts for the first time in a fundamental essay by the guest editor. The spectrum of the volume is extended by investigations into individual aspects: What are the limits of virtual worlds? How can online exhibitions be curated? How are MR technologies transforming theater stages and performance spaces? These questions are supplemented by numerous interviews with international artists such as Tamiko Thiel, Banz&Bowinkel and Achim Mohné, who work with mixed realities. So, let's go phygital!

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