Sheikha Reem Al Thani (centre), Director of Exhibitions at Qatar Museums; and Maria Herholdt Engermann (right) and Signe Ungermand, co-founders of MANND, during a press preview of the VR film ‘X-Ray Fashion’ at Qatar Museums Gallery AlRiwaq yesterday. Pi
The ‘X-Ray Fashion’, a virtual reality (VR) film, which premiered at the 2018 Venice Film Festival in the VR section, has come to Doha as part of Qatar Museum’s (QM) extensive 2019 programme. The installation will be on show at Qatar Museums Gallery AlRiwaq until April 21.
The film shines the spotlight on the inner workings of the world’s second largest polluter: the fashion industry. It is created by the Danish VR production house MANND and co-produced by the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate programme and the late Paul G Allen’s Vulcan Productions with the support of Alcantara, a certified carbon neutral company.
Directed by Italian-born director and fashion photographer, Francesco Carrozzini (Franca: Chaos and Creation), ‘X-Ray Fashion’ is a cinematic VR experience built around a 49-square metre physical installation that guides the viewer through the different stages of the fast fashion garment production; from cotton farm to sweatshop, and from catwalk to consumer purchase to the afterlife of the garment. “Our goal at Qatar Museums is to bring unique experiences to Qatar and make them accessible to all.
‘X-Ray Fashion’ is a powerful statement that transports viewers to a new reality, transforming perceptions and educating visitors on important issues the world of fashion. The immersive show is an extraordinary undertaking and I hope many people in Qatar take advantage of this opportunity to see art and technology intertwine in a remarkable manner to make such an impact,” said QM’s Director of Exhibitions, Sheikha Reem Al Thani.
The seven scenes of the film consists of 360-degree live-action footage that imparts a stunning, photo-realistic atmosphere. The transitions between the scenes consist of a CGI environment that allows the viewer to walk between the different scenes. This cinematic experience is a pioneering VR piece that tests the implementation of physical and sensory effects through settings that incorporate heat, wind, scent and shifting terrain. By adding multidimensional sensorial effects, the filmmakers seek to draw the participant into an immersive physical experience that enriches storytelling in a new way.
The story of ‘X-Ray Fashion’ begins at a fashion show where audiences mingle with catwalk models wearing stunning clothing as photographers flash their cameras. Audiences are ensconced in glamour as the narrator, Carrozzini himself, tells of a survivor of the tragic Rana Plaza disaster who told him that, “In some parts of Asia, the colour of the rivers can predict the palette of the upcoming trends fashion.”
The original concept for the X-Ray Fashion installation was developed by the Danish VR production house MANND for the Uniting4Climate VR/360-Video Pitch Competition established in 2017 by Connect4Climate, the World Bank Group’s global climate communications and partnership programme:
“Virtual Reality is a strong and powerful empathy machine to work with, in conveying a message where audiences can take the story to heart. By creating X-Ray Fashion, we set out on a mission to create awareness on the subject of the supply chain within the fast fashion industry. By creating a sensorial VR installation, we not only show, but also make our audiences feel the consequences on their own body”, Maria Herholdt Engermann and Signe Ungermand, founders of MANND.
