The Empathic Space of Art: Video Games and Virtual Reality as Tools in Socially Engaged Art Practice

The use of new technologies is undeniably one of the most significant trends in contemporary art. Artists are not only experimenting with new forms but also leveraging modern technical possibilities to raise social awareness among their audience. This tendency may also be observed in socially engaged art projects that tackle the so-called “refugee crisis.” This essay focuses on two projects—Frontiers: You Have Reached Fortress Europe by Gold Extra and Apnea by Vanessa Vozzo—both of which employ immersive technologies in order to draw attention to the situation of refugees. In my analysis, I explore the artistic tools and mechanisms of evoking empathy through the technologies applied in these artworks. The ethical limitations of the “immersive representation” of such traumatic liminal experiences are also discussed, as these types of projects raise critical questions about the ethics in contemporary art.