Into the belly of the image - Historical aspects of virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a constant phenomenon in art history that can be tr aced back to antiquity. It can involve an area of ritual action, a private artificial paradise, or a public sphere with politically suggestive power- in short, it encompasses a visual history that is characterized by totality . The concept of transposing viewers into an enclosed, illusionary visual s pace has been revived and expanded in the VR art of the current age. The mo re intimately an interface nestles into viewers' senses, the more intense t heir immersion will be. Such an interface weakens the viewers' sense of psy chological distance and puts the relationship between art and consciousness into question.