A huge thank you to everyone who tried out the Gallery Ghost VR art exhibition at our launch event at 68 Middle Street, Brighton last week. We’re delighted by the amount of positive feedback we received. When you’ve had your head buried in VR code for months it’s easy to forget just how compelling the virtual world can be for those experiencing it for the first time.

The range of responses was fascinating. Some people took to the interface naturally and were ‘porting around the VR gallery space in no time, viewing George Underwood’s amazing paintings just as they would in a real gallery. Others found it harder to separate the comparatively ‘large’ VR environment from the more limited physical space they were in, and had to be gently restrained from walking into some very real furniture. At least we know we have the graphic realism nailed.

We were too busy setting up the VR rig to watch the presentation and talk by our first exhibiting artist, the painter George Underwood, but judging by the gales of laughter coming from the auditorium his anecdotes about making art and music with 70s rock legends including David Bowie, Peter Frampton and Marc Bolan went down a storm. A special thanks to George and the fabulously talented Underwood family for all their help and support, and thanks also to the Brighton Illustrator’s Group, 68 Middle Street and Clearleft.

A final thanks is due to the wonderful Kate Smith, writer and web project manager for the National Museum Director’s Council, who travelled all the way from Yorkshire to give Gallery Ghost a go. Kate told us afterwards that it was ‘the best VR experience I’ve had so far’, so hopefully that means her long journey was worthwhile.

And now, back to work. We have more VR exhibitions to curate. Onward and upward!