VIRTUAL REALITY AS A MEDIUM OF DESIGN AND ART:
AN INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL ATELIER

-VR
-Design
-Alternative reality
-Immersive
-Simulation

Virtual reality is literally a three dimensional computer generated environment in which users can digitally interact. It extends beyond three dimensionality infact, since it contains time and space factors.Two main qualities of this environment are; simulating the reality and producing alternative realities. As an hybrid combination, we can talk about the third quality: experiencing new theoratical conditions on existing practice, which means questioning the modification possibilities on existing reality model or sub-models. At this point, its immersive quality gains extra importance; since the intensity of the experience itself the created reality is as major as creating the reality.

This huge potential as a design environment is essential for various areas from art to architecture; from education to game industry. One of the most important aspects of Virtual Reality is its cost-effectiveness on many areas; since simulating a system before realising process is a notable factor. Its capabilities getting higher day to day as technology improves.

Dealing with the reality by  a multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary environment in a potentially abstract way opens new horisons in creativity. Analysing and synthesizing back the reality theoretically and practically in an interactive manner as a new structure is very close to the nature of the design process. Virtual reality is a medium capable to constitute this kind of environment; a virtual atelier.

Especially for contemporary new media art, it offers new possibilities within a representative as much as an abstract context.