In the span of less than 15 minutes The Scream VR provided one of the most tightly packed, and memorable, art lessons I’ve ever experienced.
The Scream VR is a free download on Steam and Viveport directed by Sandra Paugam and Charles Ayats for Cineteve and Arte France. The adaption of Edvard Munch’s famous work caught our eye this week when it popped up in the new releases, and I was not disappointed giving it a look in Valve Index. The painting itself is rendered with incredible detail hanging on the wall of a white, brightly lit gallery. If you have an Index on the way, I highly recommend giving this a look in there when it arrives. Just admiring the painting in detail is only the start of the experience, though. Minutes later, the hairs on my arms stood up and a chill ran down my back as its oranges and reds started to spread into the world around me.
Layer by layer, from a mighty volcano painting the sky with blood to ghoulish spirits circling a darkened chamber, I started to feel more and more anxious while narration, simple interactions, and other paintings of Munch’s provided personal, temporal, and global context to the artist’s work. The Scream VR is presented over three chapters designed as “a unique interpretation of the Expressionist masterpiece.”
Check out the video below which captures a full run through to the credits. The experience in VR can be pretty frightening, though of course your experience will vary if you’re accustomed to getting scared in VR. If you don’t mind the spoilers, though, you could watch sections of the video below to get a sense of what’s coming.
