The plan for The Virtual Art City "Gates", a VR complex art facility, was planned in Japan in the spring of 2020 when the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spread worldwide, and started in 2021. In 2020, various restrictions were imposed in various fields, and some museums, art fairs, art events, and galleries in the art world were forced to close or cancel. This situation was also the starting point for planning "Gates". Through the worst times, people's thinking has changed and we see digital shifts in many situations. The evolution of technology is advancing day by day, and "Gates" will change as it evolves. 

 

Four facilities coexist in "Gates" centering on museums. It will start from the museum and art store, but the media center and convention center are scheduled to start in 2022. Enjoy the exhibition at the museum, where the exhibition changes regularly, and when you meet your favorite work, you can instantly warp to the art store and purchase it. In the near future, the media center will be able to obtain various information about art and increase knowledge, and the convention center will be able to participate in large-scale art events and wander around. 

 

Such movements in VR do not require the movement of people with fuel consumption or the transportation of goods by car or airplane and generate a large amount of waste from setting up venues, printed matter, packing materials, etc. at actual events. In other words, the use of "Gates" has cross-border social significance in terms of preventing global warming by reducing CO2 and protecting resources and resonates with the SDGs' goal of creating a sustainable future on a global scale. We believe that the coexistence of virtual and real will be important in the future.

 

Gates Executive Committee