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It's hard to spot the Museum of Future Experiences (MoFE).
Tucked in the middle of a block in Williamsburg, the space is at most nondescript, with a tiny sign affixed to the door as the only marker of your arrival. Upon entering the venue, the experience doesn't turn into the grandiose: the venue and production studio for virtual reality (VR) and immersive audio storytelling simply looks like an exhibition space—but what the company is actually trying to do is more niche than the sorts of experiences that traditional galleries, theaters and cinemas around New York currently deliver.
At the moment, Liminality is the only show on view at MoFE. Upon arrival, ticket holders are ushered into a cinema-like room boasting a total of 16 lounge chairs complete with VR headsets. A very well-spoken staff member will then guide participants through the show, which is comprised of three separate VR movies and a number of only-audio experiences that (spoiler alert!) might lull you into a delicious sleep.
From its onset, Liminality distinguishes itself from other local cultural pursuits through its stellar production details and technical tools employed to deliver the show. The sound, blasting through the city's only permanent Ambisonic installation, is intensely vivid. One of the show's most striking audio episodes features what appears to be a battle between animals in a jungle-like environment—and yours truly found herself closing her eyes, almost convinced a lion would dart out of the speakers and try to eat everyone present alive.
But as amazing as the technical aspects of Liminality are, the stories told within its 70-minute run time leave a bit to be desired. The three VR experiences in particular encapsulate tales that, put in the simplest terms, incite deep sadness—the very last emotion that show-goers would like to explore following a two-year-long pandemic that has upended our regular way of life.
The first VR movie, for example, focuses on a mother and her children trying to catch the very last ship out of a post-apocalyptic, deeply scary-looking world. "Mind Palace," the second short film, looks at the end of a relationship—not the most exciting subject to tackle. Although the very last VR clip offers a bit more hope, it does clearly focus on themes and genres that are related to our journey towards the end of life.
Interestingly enough, as explained by the eloquent guide at the beginning of the show, the concept of liminality refers to "the middle stage of a rite of passage," specifically noting major milestones in one's life. Although, realistically speaking, a lot of those episodes hinge on sorrow and regret, a whole bunch of others (falling in love! Finding a new exciting job! Getting pregnant!) inspire more hopeful and heartwarming emotions. Why, then, focus all three VR experiences—and the majority of the audio ones—on despair and misery?
That is, perhaps, an indication of larger cultural trends and not necessarily a critique of Liminality itself. Art, after all, always seems to imitate life. That being said, everywhere we look—from TV shows to movies, theater productions and art exhibits—creators seem to be focusing on the aspects of life that inch towards the apocalyptic or (even worse, to be quite honest) the post-apocalyptic. Given the few years we just survived, can a New Yorker plead for a bit more joy and laughter across all sorts of cultural opportunities?
The good news is that MoFE is clearly onto something: the VR world is yet untapped in this great city of ours, filled with humans craving all sorts of things to do. Couple that with the medium's potential to offer a virtually limitless amount of content and you've got yourself a recipe for a NYC kind of success.