With its eyes fiercely set on the future and, more specifically, virtual reality landscapes, Meta has no sooner adopted a form of digital art escape with a fully thriving exhibition. Based inside Meta's social VR space Horizon World, which debuted in December, the "I Am a Man'' exhibit features a full 3D immersive sculpture dedicated to the history of Black Culture.
It is the first of its kind for Meta, a newfound canvas set within the virtual and still theoretical metaverse wherein the tech company expects to showcase a variety of culture-based exhibits of the same ilk. Crafted by the VR sculpture Gabe Gault, "I Am a Man" harkens back to various 1960s events in Black history.
Utilizing Meta's Horizon Worlds and its suite of VR-based tools, Gault crafted a Meta art exhibition that will primarily be "paying homage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, 'I Am a Man activists, and the Tuskegee Airmen," reads Meta's own description. The exhibit will take place and be open starting from Tuesday, Feb. 22, to most probably the end of February. However, Meta has yet to elaborate on when specifically the exhibit will be closed.
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As previously mentioned, "I Am a Man" is the first of its kind in terms of culture-based metaverse art escapes, of which Meta will expand upon via its Metaverse Culture Series. The press release describes these forthcoming concepts as "a more accessible entry point into the future of tech for historically excluded communities, ensuring culture and diverse perspectives are woven into the fabric of the metaverse." It does have a certain ring to it.
To kick off this new series, Meta enlisted the aid of eight varied creators through Horizon Workrooms to explore how the metaverse itself can assist in lifting Black culture and creativity, arriving in the form of "Black Future," their overall discussion made manifest. This roundtable of individuals included members of the press, such as journalist Danielle Young, HuffPost's Philip Lewis, and Forbes' Rashaad Lambert, as well as general artists, like Gault, actor Jay Ellis, and photographer Paris McCoy.
It's clear from this new installment that Meta isn't slowing one decimal in terms of its push into the metaverse. Its social platform, Horizon World, already seems poised to enhance its foothold and the overall equation surrounding the metaverse expansion, as 300,000 users already fill its virtual space.
As such, Meta's Horizon Worlds seems like the main stage for its quest for total metaverse dominance, wherein art exhibits, social gatherings, films, games, and other assorted forms of entertainment will thrive and find value in an ecosystem of virtual spaces. However, what remains to be seen is what forms of security and moderation tools Meta will implement to stave off disasters, as witnessed in Fortnite's own largely negative MLK tribute.
The company did not specify when or what the next art exhibit attraction would be unveiled and pertain to, but Horizon Worlds users will still have "I Am a Man" to experience for some time more.
