Colombo’s Metaverse: Reimagining Art Through Immersive Space

In the landscape of new technologies applied to culture, Colombo’s Metaverse presents itself as an immersive experience that redefines the way contemporary art is explored. Created under the Innovacultura initiative promoted by the Lombardy Region, the project celebrates the work of Gianni Colombo, reinterpreting it in an unprecedented virtual space. The project is the result of a collaboration between AnotheReality, Archivio Gianni Colombo, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Studio Volpi.

The Project 

Gianni Colombo was a pioneer of immersive and participatory art, known for works that challenged spatial perception and encouraged the viewer’s physical and emotional involvement. Traditional exhibition formats, however, often fail to capture this interactive essence.

The challenge was to reinterpret Colombo’s work within a virtual space, honoring his artistic intent while expanding access to a broader, tech-savvy audience. The experience needed to be both contemplative and intuitive, blending curatorial authenticity with immersive storytelling.

A Digital Immersion in the Art of Gianni Colombo

Among other partners, AnotheReality developed Colombo’s Metaverse, an innovative, cross-platform art experience accessible via browser and virtual reality. Users are welcomed into a boundless, dreamlike digital landscape where they can explore both static and dynamic works of Colombo, gaining a deeper understanding of his artistic language.

The experience features a central “infinity space” where visitors navigate at their own pace and interact with selected works. Two iconic installations, Campo Praticabile and Spazio Elastico, have been carefully reimagined to preserve their sensory impact, while six additional works are presented as explorable 3D compositions.

The platform supports both Italian and English, and is designed for use in museum installations, educational settings, and remote online access.

Experience Highlights

Infinity Landscape

The user enters a peaceful  3D environment where static digital reinterpretations of Colombo’s works are displayed. Each piece includes metadata, artist information, and contextual insights provided by the project’s cultural partners.

Featured Artworks

The six iconic works integrated into the digital landscape include:

• Bariestesia (1974–75) 
• Bariestesia (1976) 
• Bariestesia (1975) 
• Architettura cacogoniometrica (1982) 
• Monumento alla Resistenza Europea a Como
  Spazio curvo (1990)
• Topoestesia (1980)

Each is carefully simplified and stylized to match the tone of the experience, allowing viewers to approach and reflect without visual distractions.

Campo Praticabile (1970) 

In this interactive room, users engage with rods that trigger flashes of light across the floor, an homage to Colombo’s original kinetic work. While simplified, the room captures the sense of discovery and tension central to the piece.

Spazio Elastico (1967-68)

Visitors enter a darkened space filled with animated fluorescent cords, suspended and in constant motion. The user does not interact, but instead becomes a silent observer, immersed in a field of spatial distortion and rhythm, just as Colombo envisioned.

Outcomes & Benefits

Wider Access to Cultural Heritage 

Visitors from anywhere in the world can explore Colombo’s legacy, whether through a VR headset or a simple browser link.

Enhanced Curatorial Reach

Institutions can extend their exhibitions into the digital realm, blending physical curation with immersive storytelling.

Educational Value

Students and art lovers gain a deeper, more emotional understanding of Colombo’s work through active engagement.

A Model for Future Exhibitions

Colombo’s Metaverse sets a precedent for how digital platforms can amplify the legacy of 20th-century artists.

Conclusion 

Colombo’s Metaverse is not just a tribute, it is a transformation. Thanks to the Innovacultura’s bids and the vision of its partners, the project redefines how art can be experienced in the 21st century. Moreover, it not only opens a virtual window onto one of Italy’s most influential contemporary artists, inviting new generations to step into his spatial experiments and feel them firsthand, but it brings to life artwork that was designed but never realised, even those conceptualised after the death of the artist