Innovation Comes with Technological Evolution
The space-visual perceptive dimension has long been explored and reproduced through tools capable of expanding our vision. In the 19th century, devices such as Pepper’s Ghost, the stereoscope, and the anaglyph made it possible to represent the world in three dimensions, mirroring the way we perceive it. Even today, these instruments remain in use and find applications across various fields, from advertising to design. They are beginning to interact and converge, offering new solutions and opportunities for interpreting contemporary reality.
The value of these approaches lies in their ability to blend the multiple dimensions we inhabit—physical and digital alike (see, for example, the performance Le Sacre du Printemps by Obermaier). Photogrammetry is an increasingly popular tool, appreciated not only for its point cloud aesthetics but also for its experimental and highly creative nature, allowing real-world elements to be imported and easily modified.
Applications such as Scaniverse, Polycam, Luma, and many others are powered by large user communities who scan and share freely accessible digital assets. Virtual reality, when integrated with these tools, is helping reshape our perception of the world. Just like Google Earth, these three-dimensional representations are becoming more realistic because they are created by people—not just by machines or automated scanning systems.
A striking example is the work of artist Simon Weckert, who “hacked” Google Maps by simulating a traffic jam using 99 smartphones—a demonstration of how today’s maps are more human than ever.
We can also talk about volumetric filmmaking, using tools like Depthkit, which enables video production through photogrammetric techniques. This technology is often associated with music videos as an initial format of expression. In this context, systems like 8thWall and web apps offer a compelling integration, allowing for augmented reality experiences of animated and immersive storytelling—explorable in full volumetric form.
But why replicate the real world with virtual reality? When seen as a tool for inquiry, VR is perhaps the most powerful medium ever invented to explore what it truly means to be human—and how we think and feel. It is a valuable tool for anyone interested in understanding how society began, how it exists today, and what it might yet become.
Professional applications such as Tilt Brush, Gravity Sketch, Open Brush, Quill, and others allow us to model and construct environments around our bodies. Paradoxically, through digital means, they help us regain an awareness of physical movement that we may have lost. The device itself can evolve ergonomically, moving beyond the role of a simple accessory to become a tool that connects our most human side with the surrounding environment—and with others.
Consider, for instance, the work of AnotherLab in the field of extended reality, or Carne y Arena by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, to understand how immersive experiences can transform into profound reflections—human, sensory, and political.