Response to Gaze

The virtual reality project A Short History of the Gaze is a unique one. First I looked at the preview video before downloading the experience and watching it on my laptop for more interactivity. I'm not entirely sure what I had expected, but the experience itself was one I haven't seen the likes of before.

The whole thing is a sort of commentary, according to the artist's statement, about the power of our gaze, and especially with how vital it is in virtual reality. And yet, this is an uncomfortable experience, as it's meant to be. In all honesty, I don't entirely agree with the idea behind it, largely since the gaze is central to any VR experience, or even any visual media. I do 'get it', so to speak, and I understand the desire to explore it, but it is so uncomfortable at times and you can't avoid it.

In short, there are a variety of experiences that range from simplistic and fairly harmless to intruding and even killing who you happen to look at. What's more, in that specific scenario, it seemed that it was impossible to move onto the next scene without 'killing' a number of people. All in all, it was interesting thought not exactly enjoyable. Then again, that was the point, so I can say at least that it was effective.

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