The Lab at Panorama

Even during performances by headlining music acts, the line into The Lab remained jammed, which META founder Justin Bolognino said demonstrated the success and demand for immersive tech in a festival setting. “This is tech amplified,” he said. “What we are proving here is that we can use tech to foster human curiosity and joy.”

Once inside The Lab, crowds of festivalgoers could jump inside a motion-responsive bouncy structure shaped like intestines (Visceral Recess by Future Wife) or swing on sound-responsive cocoons (Hyper Thread by Dave and Gabe). Infinite Wall by Garbiel Pulecio was an enclosed, mirrored installation that captured movement and translated it into light and sound. Reflection Study by Zachary Lieberman created visual art from objects and light.

In The Dome, visitors lay on their backs and stared wide-eyed at 360-degree artworks projected on the ceiling. Bolognino said the installation was a way to bypass the isolation imposed by typical virtual reality setups. “I see domes in the public setting as the communal VR experience,” he said.

“The client cried because they were so overwhelmed by the experience and my five-year-old daughter ran out halfway in because she was scared,” Bolognino continued. “It’s an emotional experience.”

In March 2016, the Innovation Group reported on the rise of experience culture at festivals.