I wish I were visiting this exhibition in Sharjah, enjoying the experience of viewing art alongside others. But I'm not. Like most, I'm sheltering at home from a pandemic that has left us anxious and lusting for the before times of physical connections with art and people.1 For many, the virtual world has proven a feeble shadow of its gloriously three-dimensional counterpart. What does it mean to virtually experience a tangible exhibition in sensorial stillness, ourselves homebound in a very different way? Thanks to a virtual immersive 360° tour by Virtual eyes on the Matterport 3D Showcase platform, Homebound: A Journey in Photography and Addis Foto Fest: Nine Years Survey are accessible from anywhere, at any hour. Originally scheduled to open March 23, 2020, the digital tour was created following the exhibition's postponement. Bilingual in person, the virtual experience exists in Arabic and English-language versions.
The presentation comprises two...