While wearing (360-degree) VR glasses, participants were shown two performances. One was a virtual reimagining of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” ...
The other screening was a modern-day realistic film of the exact same location in Provence as depicted in Van Gogh’s 1889 painting.
Simulated environments
Statistical analysis of the participants’ responses revealed that both virtual reality videos triggered those feelings of sublimity with a comparable intensity. However, they were different where deeper dimensions of sublimity were concerned. For example, the ‘nature video’ evoked a greater perception of existential danger.
The results of this first study with virtual reality is that certain features from the virtual reality representation of the artwork do benefit the well-being of people.