‘The Labyrinth Effect’ was a series of immersive Decentraland installations and events by art collective Vueltta, created for Metaverse Art Week 2022.
First coined by researcher Dr. John Rhodes in 2006, ‘The Labyrinth Effect’ describes the states of mind evoked by walking a labyrinth. According to Rhodes, labyrinths create liminal spaces which promote ‘flashes of intuition, insight and openness’.
Vueltta’s labyrinths seek to bring this liminal experience into the metaverse.
‘Labyrinths are an ancient archetype dating back 4,000 years or more. They evoke metaphor, sacred geometry, spiritual pilgrimage… and community building’
– The Labyrinth Society
Locations
To fully experience The Labyrinth Effect, you are invited to explore two large-scale installations across two Decentraland locations:
The Tower Labyrinth
Located in Vueltta gallery, Indie Village [95, 27]
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The Pyramid Labyrinths
Located in Edifice Metaversal [2, -39]
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Ancient Design + Artificial Intelligence
The Labyrinth Effect blends ancient archetypes with the latest in artificial intelligence and metaverse installation.
The design of the labyrinths is based on a coin from 400 BC, found in the ancient city of Knossos, Greece. This shows a square labyrinth pattern thought to represent the labyrinth of the Minotaur – a myth which originated in Knossos.
The labyrinths’ outer architectures are designed by Vueltta co-founder Adrián Martínez to reference contemporary modernist works such as The Headquarters of the French Communist Party by Oscar Niemeyer and sculpture by Richard Serra and Rachel Whiteread.
The artworks and soundscapes inside the labyrinths are created by Vueltta artist Bay Backner in collaboration with artificial intelligence. Bay worked into AI outputs from Midjourney (a text to image algorithm) and AIVA (a generative music composer) to design nine different liminal environments. Each connects ancient references with current social concerns.
Both artists chose to celebrate rather than conceal the low-polygon restrictions of Decentraland. They intend The Labyrinth Effect to be ‘other’ – disconcerting and unreal – while evoking ‘metaphor, sacred geometry, spiritual pilgrimage’ within its digital walls.
More about our locations
The Tower Labyrinth
Located in Vueltta gallery, Indie Village.
Indie Village is a 20-acre master-planned virtual development that aims to become the premier cultural destination of the metaverse, where music, art and fashion collide. Indie Village will bring real-world venues to life in Decentraland and will be activated on a nightly basis with live concerts, art galleries, comedy clubs, fashion shows, social clubs and numerous other immersive virtual experiences. With a special mission to support women and the arts, Indie Village is currently hosting ‘Infinite Objects presents Women of the World’, an exhibition showcasing the art of 130 female artists from all over the globe.
Indie Village: [100, 30]
Vueltta Gallery: [95, 27]
With thanks to Bill Burns, KJ Walker and Low Poly Models World.
The Pyramid Labyrinths
Located in Edifice Metaversal
Edifice Metaversal is a 43 parcel estate created by NFT photobook pioneer G.S. Broz and Berlin-based design studio metaplazas.com. It was recently awarded a runner-up prize for architecture in Renovi’s Next Top Metaverse Build and was featured on Polygonal Mind’s MetaTrip #40. Inspired by IRL superstructures like Berlin’s ICC and Singapore’s PARKROYAL on Pickering, the estate is proud to be home to the metaverse’s first paternoster lift.
Now moving beyond the initial build, Edifice Metaversal aims to become a noteworthy hub of digital culture. The team is currently cultivating partnerships with tech-savvy art collectives like Vueltta in order to curate the best in boundary pushing SDK-based art. Vueltta’s six Pyramid Labyrinths are installed throughout the estate, with three on the sweeping roof terrace.
[2, -39]
With thanks to G.S. Broz, metaplazas.com, Dacritter and Dax.
Follow @EdificeMeta.
More about Vueltta
Vueltta is an international art collective creating immersive experiences in the metaverse. Our aim is to use art installation and interactive technologies to explore how shared virtual experience will shape society and identity.
@vueltta | vueltta.com
Enter The Tower Labyrinth.
Enter The Pyramid Labyrinths.
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