Building virtual galleries: Spring update from the project

As the PMP project moves into an exciting new phase this spring, our international partners are deep in the creative work of shaping the Forms of Presence exhibition – an exploration of the question “How does media shape identities?” While the physical exhibitions will take place in seven cities across Europe in autumn 2026, the preparations for their virtual counterpart is already well underway.

Building the virtual exhibition

At Lapland University of Applied Sciences, the construction of the online exhibition, the shared virtual gallery has begun in 2025. Each project partner will soon have their own dedicated digital space to curate, design and experiment with.

Virtual gallery invites playful exploration; visitors can walk over or play with some of the works without damaging them.

The virtual environment offers complete freedom: artworks can be hung on walls, placed on floors, or positioned in unconventional ways that challenge traditional gallery norms. Visitors will encounter photographs, media art, video works, 3D pieces, dance performances, and spoken-word poetry – some presented as videos, others as immersive or spatially dynamic objects. And unlike a physical exhibition, the virtual gallery invites playful exploration; visitors can even walk over or play with some of the works without damaging them.

Technical development of the digital spaces

Gallery spaces have been 3d-modeled with Blender. A game engine is used to create interactivity for galleries. As the online exhibition opens in the autumn 2026, the content will be available in several different versions from virtual glasses all the way to mobile devices on the consumer level.

Currently our national curators are selecting the artworks for virtual galleries, and the work shifts now to building of the actual exhibition content.

Curating and shaping the exhibition content

Throughout the spring, partners are curating their artworks and shaping the narratives of their individual spaces. This collaborative design process will form the foundation for both the digital experience and the physical exhibitions opening next autumn.

Looking ahead launching the exhibition

As we move toward the launch of the Forms of Presence exhibitions in 2026, the virtual gallery will serve as a testing ground and a creative laboratory – inviting us to rethink how art is displayed, experienced, and shared across borders.

Stay tuned as the PMP project continues to develop new ways of engaging with media, identity, and contemporary artistic expression.

Writers: Marjo Jussila and Jari Penttinen, Lapland UAS, assisted by AI