Museum of Science Fiction Announces
VR Design Competition
The Museum of Science Fiction announced today the launch of a global competition to celebrate the importance of virtual reality design and innovation. The competition will open on Monday, April 4 and continue through August 5, 2022. The VR design competition is open to all students, architects, designers, engineers, builders, programmers, and artists in the United State and abroad.
“We want this competition to inspire immersive and creative VR designs which showcase the unlimited possibilities that virtual spaces offer museum visitors,” said Greg Viggiano, executive director of the Museum of Science Fiction. “Virtual reality has long been a hallmark of science fiction books and films, but now the real-life technology has reached the point where it can be practically realized.”
“VR can make our dreams real, and the Museum of Science Fiction brings together both the reality and the dream!” added Greg Bear, award-winning science fiction author and Museum advisory board member. “Around the globe, science fiction is now accepted as the genre that pours light onto an onrushing future, filled with uncertainty, opportunities, and dangers. Dire warnings of past science fiction narratives may have saved us already many times over, and today the field is watched carefully by governments, corporations, activists and hundreds of millions who want a handle on change. Such a powerful field for thought experiments ought to get a central locus for exploration, thoughtful worry and just plain fun! The virtual Museum of Science Fiction could be that locus!” commented David Brin, award-winning science fiction author and Museum advisory board member.
The winning VR designs by the competition entrants will be featured in the VR Museum alongside the works of Greg Bear and David Brin, as well as digital artist Shume, with an initial “Creators Gallery” opening in the spring of 2023. The Creator Gallery is the first of seven other gallery spaces and will expand to include the most notable and significant contributors to the genre.
VR design entries will be judged primarily on the overall visual fidelity of the virtual environment by a professional team of judges consisting of digital artists, architects, Museum staff, and VR design professionals. Finalists will be selected based on designs submitted online, with an awards ceremony set to take place in Washington, DC on October 15, 2022.
A grand prize that includes $1,000 will be awarded to the overall winner. Support for this competition is generously provided by Roddenberry Entertainment. For additional details about the competition, including the registration form, please visit www.museumofsciencefiction.org/vr-competition.
About the Museum of Science Fiction
The nonprofit Museum of Science Fiction is a destination and point of departure that inspires people and motivates learning – covering the history of the genre across the arts and providing a narrative on its relationship to the real world. The Museum’s main mission is to open a portal to imagination: in both virtual and physical space, the Museum offers visitors an opportunity to experience and learn about some of the most important science and science fiction artifacts and achievements. The Museum shows how science fiction continually inspires individuals, influences cultures, and impacts societies. Also serving as an educational catalyst to expand interest in the science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) areas, the Museum uses tools such as mobile applications and WIFI-enabled display objects to engage and entertain.
