‘Stolen Art Gallery’ Gathers Lost Masterpieces In VR So You Can View Them Again

The Stolen Art Gallery is home to art you’ve most likely never seen in person. Within its virtual halls reside five of the most famous missing masterpieces that have been lost over time.

Thanks to virtual reality, you can now lay your eyes on stolen work from Caravaggio, Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, Édouard Manet, and Paul Cézanne.

Compass UOL, the Brazilian tech company behind the new app, has made viewings free for all iOS and Android users. However, it advises that the experience is best viewed using a Meta Quest headset.

With a VR headset, you can get up close and personal with the paintings in a way you wouldn’t be able to in a real museum. You can also listen to a guided tour that walks you through the dark halls of the stolen art. And like any other museum outing, your friends and family can join in the same session to view the paintings together.   

Compass UOL CEO and cofounder Alexis Rockenbach told Fast Company that the initial vision for the museum was to recreate the real-life museum environment and make it virtual. The idea was abandoned for a more minimalist approach which saw the paintings float in a dark space, giving the artwork center stage and letting visitors bask in the beauty of the pieces distraction-free.

The VR app invites viewers to get close to the painting, take notes, sketch, and spend quiet time with these stolen pieces without a crowd of tourists or school kids getting in the way.   

While nothing beats the wonders of actually standing among the original artwork, when it comes to pieces that have been stolen or lost, one couldn’t ask for a better and more immersive experience. 

[via Fast Company and Artnet News, video and images via Compass UOL]