The exhibit, “Reality’s Fugue: Virtual Reality Meets Art & Philosophy.” is a 10-minute interactive experience that will be at the Hicks Art Center now until March 1st, according to a Bucks press release.

The idea for this exhibition came to light in 2021. The author of Reality’s Fugue, F. Samuel Brainard teamed up with producer David Tamés, artists Carol Cruickshanks and designer Christian Kowalchuck to create this 10-minute immersive exhibit that focusses on art, philosophy and spirituality.

This exhibit is a true collaboration of “mutual interests,” said Brainard. The exhibit focuses on art, philosophy and spirituality. It has been through many stages, from a Claymation mockup to the video form and all the way to VR.

The show features two booths equipped with VR headsets, headphones and custom 360-degree swivel chairs. There will also be some physical pieces of artwork on display featured in the VR experience, as well as a film on VR titled “The History of Extended Reality” produced and directed by Tamés.

The show highlights the idea of the collective being. Brainard said the idea is that “we aren’t just one person; we have the capacity to be whatever we want to be to an extent.” Exhibition Designer Christian Kowalchuck said, their aim was to use virtual reality as a medium to portray “this complex topic to the masses.”

They wanted to bring “awareness of the world in different ways,” said contributing artist Carol Cruickshanks. The idea was to “take VR to a socially conscious realm.”

The show originally premiered at the New Hope Arts Center in early 2024. The exhibit is now on its third prototype, with this version containing a rewritten script and their custom chairs for the first time.

“This is just a steppingstone,” says Brainard with hopes of one day having a completed production for use by museums or even through personal download. Come check out the Hicks Art Gallery before March first to see this perspective altering experience

The people who brought this exhibit to life are “producer and directors F. Samuel Brainard and David Tamés. The contributing artists include Carol Cruickshanks, Susanne Pitak-Davis, Aurelle Purdy Sprout, and Stacie Speer Scott. Patrick Nugent served as the developer and the 3D artists were Patrick Nugent and Katerina Pak. The composer was Linda Erickson, and the narration was written by Jenny Paschall with Fran Perlman narrating. Technical consultants included Danger Donaghey, Oscar Keyes, and Matt Seibert. Special thanks go to New Hope Arts, Stanley Timek and the Bucks County Community College Media Center, Robert Bullington and Front Row Seat