Long-Sharp Gallery’s new virtual two wing 6000-square foot space was designed and built by London-based Emperia Ltd. LSG | V opens August 3 with an exhibit in each wing: Pablo Picasso: A selection of rare early prints (Gallery A, 10 works, prices ranging from $18,000 - $2.6m.) and Spiller + Cameron: Virtually Going Places (Gallery B, 15 works, prices ranging from $4,000 –10,000).
Gallery owner Rhonda Long-Sharp says establishing a virtual platform and a stronger online presence has been in the works for several years. “Our virtual exhibits started in 2018 using the services of New Zealand company Exhibbit. Their platform allows artwork to be uploaded into four stock virtual galleries. We saw Emperia’s custom capabilities in the summer of 2019 and committed instantly.”
Emperia founder Olga Dogadkina describes their process this way:
We create gallery spaces and shows in virtual reality. Every show is created digitally using 3D technologies. The reason building the space digitally benefits the work is that every painting is recreated in 3D, put in manually and the lighting is custom-built for each work. It allows you to preserve all the details and maintain the highest resolution for each artwork, which is not possible with a 360-degree photograph. Taking it one step further, each painting is interactive so you can click on the painting and find whatever information is chosen; the zoom capability is 500%, such that you can see every single detail.
Long-Sharp was impressed with the ease with which one could move through the spaces created by Emperia. According to Dogadkina:
We wanted to create something that anyone could easily use without the need for any technical knowledge or special equipment. When we developed the movement through the space, we wanted to make it as effortless as possible on any device.
Such is the case with the pair of exhibits opening at Long-Sharp Gallery Virtual. Both exhibits will be enhanced by an audio tour. The Spiller + Cameron exhibit will feature paintings hung from the virtual ceiling, allowing visitors to view the front and back of the paintings.
COVID-19 has impacted the gallery’s business both positively and negatively. On the positive side, Long-Sharp Gallery Virtual was to open in winter 2020. With art fairs canceled and both physical galleries closed, a stronger online presence was no longer a luxury –- it became a must. With staff not otherwise immersed in usual fair and exhibition tasks, LSG’s online ramp up became possible months ahead of time. But these times also led LSG to announce a suspension of business in New York City after five years. “Our lease ends in November 2020. Until we see stability in the market, we have made the difficult decision to suspend operations in our New York Project Space,” said Long-Sharp. Stratify, the gallery’s fall exhibit which features works by four of the gallery’s represented artists, will be the last in the present space. LSG’s flagship Indianapolis Gallery will remain open.
