HOME OF THE BRAIN (1989-91) - PHILOSOPHERS' HOUSES
Created between 1989 and 1991 by Monika Fleischmann and Wolfgang Strauss, Home of the Brain is one of the first Virtual Reality (VR) artworks to incorporate a data glove and a head-mounted display from Jaron Lanier and Tom Zimmerman's VPL company. This groundbreaking networked VR installation invites visitors to explore an immersive, imaginary world, offering striking three-dimensional visual and auditory sensations.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HOME OF THE BRAIN IN THE HISTORY OF VR
Home of the Brain was a pioneering milestone in VR, marking several key developments:
• Early Artistic Exploration of VR: One of the first artworks to experiment with VR technology before its mainstream adoption.
• Immersive Experience: By integrating a head-mounted display and a data glove, it allowed visitors to interact with a virtual world, creating a strong sense of presence.
• Conceptual Innovation: It challenged conventional notions of space, perception, and embodiment by blurring the boundaries between physical and virtual realms.
• Narrative & Discourse: The virtual environment functioned as a space for philosophical dialogue, exploring the intersection of AI, human-machine interaction, and digital culture.
PUBLIC RECEPTION
Public reaction in the late 80s and early 90s ranged from awe and curiosity to resistance from traditional art critics. While some embraced it as a glimpse into the future of interactive art, others questioned its implications for the relationship between physical and digital space. With its dedication to four key philosophers and AI thinkers, the installation was perceived as a "new world brain" - a conceptual public forum to foster intellectual discourse.
THE STORY OF HOME OF THE BRAIN
What if you could step inside the minds of great thinkers? Home of the Brain offers just such an experience. Set in a virtual replica of Berlin's New National Gallery, the installation presents the contrasting theories of four intellectuals - Marvin Minsky, Joseph Weizenbaum, Vilém Flusser and Paul Virilio. Each philosopher's thoughts are metaphorically represented as virtual houses, forming an interactive "think tank". As participants navigate the space using a data glove and VR headset, their movements trigger the thinkers' voices, creating a dynamic montage of ideas.
This interactive and immersive artwork functions as a staged philosophical debate. Each philosopher's house is connected to a central concept:
• Flusser: "People are getting worse, but technology is getting better."
• Minsky: "There is no difference between the real you and your digital clone."
• Weizenbaum: "What is the difference between a virtual hand and a real hand? The hand of a beautiful woman means something to me, but this virtual hand does not. Why do we need this?"
• Virilio: "Digital culture advances at the speed of light, but leads to a rapid standstill."
These opposing viewpoints and perspectives unfold as an auditory and visual clash of ideas and shape the cognitive atmosphere of the virtual environment. As media historian Oliver Grau has noted, Home of the Brain is "one of the first memory spaces to represent an entirely new form of public space - that of global computer networks. ... A modern version of a stoa, it provides a simulated, highly symbolic information space for discourse on the ethical and social implications of new media technology."
BREAKTHROUGHS IN VR AESTHETICS
Beyond its conceptual achievements, Home of the Brain pushed the boundaries of VR aesthetics. In contrast to the flat, graphical rendering typical of early VR, this installation used a specially developed radiosity algorithm (Henrik Tramberend) to simulate physically calculated lighting. The artists' algorithmic structure (Dirk Lüsebrink) of concept, design, modeling, mapping, and radiosity lighting became cohesive. Objects cast shadows and glowed when approached, creating a visual depth reminiscent of Giorgio de Chirico's Pittura Metafisica (Metaphysical Painting). This ability to simulate atmospheric light became a powerful tool for directing attention and meaning in digital space.
HONORED: In 1992, Home of the Brain was awarded the Golden Nica at the Prix Ars Electronica, cementing its place in the history of media art.
FIRST ANALYSIS: Oliver Grau's dissertation: Virtuelle Kunst in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Visuelle Strategien. Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin, 2000.
LANDMARK IN THE EVOLUTION OF VR
The Home of the Brain VR installation fuses art, technology, and philosophy into an interactive, immersive experience that continues to inspire discussions about the digital future. It remains a milestone in the evolution of VR, developed by all ART+COM members involved. The artists plan to reconstruct the work in 2025, using contemporary AI tools to spark controversial discussions.
https://web.archive.org/web/19970624214857fw_/http://viswiz.gmd.de/projects/art/Sub/home-o-brain6.html