Many have tried to create an artistic community that welcomes non-binary and emerging artists. UK-based, global collective The Immersive Kind are experts in the matter, providing a 24/7 inclusive online community and platform for tech and art enthusiasts. You will learn about this fascinating experiment in Agora’s upcoming talk on January 27.

Isabella Helms  |  Ed Cristina Brooks  | 24 January 2021

Marcela Baltarete @marcela_baltarete in collaboration with Kadine James (2020) © Courtesy of the artist.

The Immersive Kind is an online extended reality (XR) creative studio where artists can use emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and robotics. The organisation’s aim is to demonstrate the contemporary art potential of new technologies.

Founded by Kadine James, one of digital magazine Computer Weekly’s top 100 women in tech, The Immersive Kind invites us to view technology in a way that challenges our preconceived notions of digital art as the domain of straight white men. Through inviting emerging artists from diverse walks of life to collaborate with their XR studio, the collective also allows technology and art to intertwine in the hands of neuroscientists, artificial intelligence engineers, data scientists and many more professionals who are not usually associated with creativity. 

The Immersive Kind is an online extended reality (XR) creative studio where artists can use emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and robotics. The organisation’s aim is to demonstrate the contemporary art potential of new technologies.

Founded by Kadine James, one of digital magazine Computer Weekly’s top 100 women in tech, The Immersive Kind invites us to view technology in a way that challenges our preconceived notions of digital art as the domain of straight white men. Through inviting emerging artists from diverse walks of life to collaborate with their XR studio, the collective also allows technology and art to intertwine in the hands of neuroscientists, artificial intelligence engineers, data scientists and many more professionals who are not usually associated with creativity. 

The Immersive Kind’s commitment to creating an inclusive, diverse environment has not gone unnoticed. With a passion for making digital art accessible to everyone, the organisation’s enthusiasm for underrepresented voices, including non-binary and queer communities, brings a fresh perspective to digital art practices. With this mantra, the digital art ecosystem is one that makes XR accessible to all. 

This concept of a digitised society, a perpetual community that allows people from all over the world to collaborate, advances how artists discuss and work with emerging technologies. With this, The Immersive Kind’s ecosystem nourishes emerging XR, VR and AR art sectors, providing a safe place for artists to venture into the world of extended reality. 

Co-founder of The Immersive Kind Lucy Wheeler is an XR artist herself whose work epitomises the organisation’s values. Her fascination with human nature and its relation to technology shine through her work, drawing us into the crossover between immersive technologies and the human condition. Lucy’s focus on human/technological relationships allows us to imagine a world in which the lines between technology and the human condition are blurred.

Her work also connects us to the timely issues of sustainability and consumption, making us pause to think about the impact we have on the planet. Oil spilling from trucks, containers floating their way across vast oceans: the details of Lucy Wheeler’s latest work with fluid simulations draws us into the world of human-made destruction. The uncanny realism of the work, and its relation to the ever-more-pressing issue of the climate crisis, shows how technologies can allow us to connect with issues bigger than ourselves. The Immersive Kind does not just showcase emerging technologies, they showcase technologies being used in ways that make us think. 

#manufacturing UK #KTN #makeuk for featuring our founder Kadine James “In the build-up to the end of 2020 The Manufacturer and KTN have teamed up to bring you profiles on 30 Inspiring Women in Digital Manufacturing”

The digitalisation of society often seems daunting and alien, something that is beyond our control. However, The Immersive Kind shows us the positivity that the transition can radiate. The community spirit of the collective demonstrates how technology does not take away from our humanity but gives us the ability to enhance it. At a time where we rely on technology to connect more than ever, it is exciting to see the development of extended reality and its use in contemporary art. Join us for a deep dive into the inclusive future of digital art ecosystems. 

Watch this talk

21.01.27 Lucy Wheeler from The Immersive Kind - Agora Digital Art

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