24 August 2020
"Let’s pretend we are from the future. Mother Nature is on the edge of collapse. Where will we be when it dies? And how will the world look when it is reborn?"
Last year HOME launched Future 20 - a year-long artist residency and training programme for emerging artists aged 18-25. Venture Arts artists, Sally Hirst and James Desser, have been part of the collective and the group have just launched their final collaborative piece, 'Last Place on Earth'. The collective is made up many different artistic talents, including filmmakers, poets, performers, visual artists, photographers and more. They have worked together over the course of this year, and throughout lockdown, to produce a virtual reality environment that invites you to imagine the last place on earth. Consisting of unworldly environments, imaginary and experimental concepts dreamt up by the artists, size and scale were no longer concerns as the piece became entirely digital due to the pandemic. Future 20 are reimagining an alternative place to reconnect with mother nature, through the virtual reality lens. A space for people to think carefully about who they are, the impacts of their behaviours and attitudes towards our planet and what actions we must take to create real positive change. The process of moving from a physical exhibition to the digital realm was guided by artist Ivan Morison, founder of Studio Morison. Ivan said: “Last Place On Earth evolved around the central question within the collective: As artists and creatives of all types, how best do we communicate the urgent issues of our time - the environment emergency and the collapse of societal norms and civic responsibility - and through our work how do we bring about meaningful change?” HOME have carried out interviews with both Sally Hirst and James Desser, talking to them about their artistic practise and how being part of the collective has impacted them. Click on their names to read. Sally has also produced an easy read guide to 'Last Place on Earth', giving a clear overview of the project as well as more detail about the content of the worlds seen in the piece. You can access it here: Last Place on Earth - easy read guide The piece is interactive and can be explored in 360 degrees. Have fun and be sure to full screen it! #Future20 #TheLastPlaceOnEarth
