‘Welcome Back to Portal Park’ was a virtual residency organised by Maria Mombers and MaMA Rotterdam. From August 7 till August 27 2023 a group of 9 artists, content creators and researchers with an interest in internet culture had access to a virtual studio space in Mozilla hubs in which they worked individually on a project which is now on show in the virtual Portal Park exhibition.
In talks held by the program touched upon topics like algorithms, Artificial intelligence, Online Identity and Virtual World Building. Log in to Mozilla Hubs to watch the virtual exhibition, presented in a world build by Pleun Gremmen and Noémi Biró.
“Beneath the terrifying images that theater maker Luit Bakker creates with virtual artist Pleun Gremmen and Noémi Biró, there is a deeply hidden reality of hatred and intolerance against everything that is queer. Together with director Lotte Bos, they emphasize parts of the world we live in. Luit takes us to three different worlds that are created physically and digitally. Propelled by deep beats, you travel through dark worlds and infinite possibilities. In this way you start looking for what the future should be.” — promo text (translated NL>ENG)
“Thanks to the unpredictable twists and turns and the alienating digital worlds of Pleun Gremmen and Noémi Biró that serve as a backdrop, A garden of heavenly delights offers the synthesis between celebration and mourning that Van Saarloos has in mind.” — newspaper NRC (translated NL>ENG)
“The motion capture that is used gives Luit the ability to transform, which provides the solo with a colorful range of characters. The imaginative worldview resonates with the futurism of the virtual scenography. And therefore it seems inevitable that this performance was created with exactly this technology.” — theaternews theaterkrant (translated NL>ENG)
“Bold and witty, this sensual demon, feminine octopus woman, who utters annoying millennial language ("I feel superblessed") and worships her womb. Lavering among her colourful characters, cleverly created by virtual artists Pleun Gremmen and Noémi Biró, you gradually begin to wonder what Bakker wants to tell us next. Then she begins an anecdote about a party in a new housing development, where a feeling of loneliness overcomes her, the only lesbian.” — newspaper Volkskrant (translated NL>ENG)
Creative Coding Utrecht (CCU) opened up the online festival Rainbows End 🌈🌈🌈 from April 22nd until 2nd of May 2021. This multi-sensory art manifestation was exploring the boundaries of reality, intimacy and play, with a diverse range of activities. There were talk shows, screenings, performances, workshops, and an online art exhibition, to immerse visitors in new realities.