The Metaverse is more than a dystopia

Image: Meta

The metaverse enables unique virtual experiences and can be a powerful tool for progression and empowerment. An interactive art exhibit initiated by Meta in Horizon Worlds shows this.

Although early Metaverse products still face social issues and many technical issues, they can already serve as a space for raising awareness and broadening perspectives. For example in art that deals with history and important socio-political issues.

An artist, Gabe Gault, has created an immersive virtual reality exhibit titled “I am a man” in the Horizon Worlds metaverse, allowing users to see and interactively experience black history from a contemporary perspective.

Gabe Gault and the Art of the Metaverse

Gault, artist and muralist, opened his exhibition on February 22, 2022 at Metas Horizon Worlds. His latest work focuses on an immersive virtual journey that transports visitors to the most important eras in black history. It features figures from the civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

Gault is part of the Metaverse Culture Series of Meta, an immersive VR experience where participants can create their own worlds in the Metaverse and explore black culture.

The goal of the program is to provide historically excluded communities with access to the future of technology. I Am A Man runs until February 28, but Horizon Worlds is currently only available in the US and Canada.

The metaverse as a space of good

The metaverse is still in its infancy. Moderation issues and challenges – such as misinformation, discrimination, and harassment – ​​are currently an issue and, as in the real world, likely will remain so.

Therefore, some people might perceive the Metaverse as a dangerous place. For this reason, metaverse providers such as Meta, Rec Room or VRChat take measures to protect their users, such as setting up a “safe zone” that encloses avatars in a protective bubble.

Currently, the Metaverse (or its derivatives like Horizon Worlds) only appeals to a small group of people. But it keeps growing and can be a powerful tool for progress, such as overcoming social anxiety. Thus, the Metaverse is more than a self-contained virtual surrogate world that is supposed to bring high sales to businesses. It can also be seen as a new digital space where anything can happen – including exploring history, creativity, culture and new social experiences.

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