Events

Published on February 16th, 2022 | by Adrian Gunning

Wizards announce new MTG Virtual Art Exhibition on 18 Feb 2022

Wizards announced a new free Magic: The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition – 83 Artists who drew the world of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, along with the tabletop launch of the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set on Friday 18 February to the public.

The immersive art exhibition will feature 134 pieces of art from the set created by 83 artists who drew the world of Kamigawa in a new VR viewing experience, which users can enjoy through either Windows PC, Meta Quest 2 (Oculus Quest 2), Oculus Rift / Rift S, HTC Vive / Vive Pro 1 and 2.

The exhibition will be open until Thursday 24 February 2022.

“Trading card games are being played by more and more people as a communication tool as they are cooped up at home because of the Covid-19 virus. On the other hand, we had the challenge of reconnecting our fragmented community who had previously gathered in card game shops. We also had to figure out how to maintain a relationship with fans in a way that would not be affected by the Covid-19 situation. That’s when we turned our attention to VR technology. We thought we could create a virtual reality experience that would allow people to immerse themselves in the fascinating world that is the strength of our game and connect with other fans in Japan and around the world. This project recreates the cyberpunk city of Towashi, the setting for the new set “Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty”, in a VR space. We will hold a virtual art exhibition where you can view the wonderful art included in the set with commentary by the artists themselves. This is a collaboration with ambr, Inc., who provided us with great technology and player experience in a past production at the Tokyo Game Show VR 2021. Enjoy a new art experience of the metaverse age right from your home!” – Hidetomo Nishioka, Esports Community Manager, Wizards of the Coast Japan

“As a child, I was more passionate about card games than any other games because of the beauty and excitement of the art on the cards. I can’t count the number of times I fantasized about the world beyond the cards where creatures and magic existed. I put all my energy into this project filled with my nostalgia for those days. The artistic world of Magic, the world’s greatest card game. We worked together with Wizards to bring the beauty and fun of Magic to you in a completely new form: that of a virtual art exhibition. I hope that many people who love art and creativity, including Magic players and those who have never played Magic before, will enjoy it.” – Takuya Nishimura, CEO, ambr, Inc.

“This exhibition was planned with a primary focus on the beautiful art and the artists who created them. Rather than simply laying out the pieces, the exhibition integrates multiple ways of enjoying the works into a single viewing experience, including hearing the artists’ own words, valuable preliminary sketches, and the art as a final card product. We also took great care in the creation of mechanisms for deeper enjoyment of the art, such as a robot that narrates the world of Kamigawa and the sonic experience where multiple sounds blend together. I hope you will enjoy the exhibition and feel firsthand how much Magic values art.” – Kanna Bansho, CXO, ambr, Inc.

Highlights:

  • Artists featured include Tetsuo Haro of “Fist of the North Star” fame, Yoji Shinkawa (Art Director KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS Co., Ltd.), and Katsuya Terada (character designer of “Kamen Rider W”).
  • Attendees’ avatars will evolve according to the cards you get through the exhibition, and how successful you are at capturing them.
  • There’s also special content including 3D characters appearing from cards, 30 pieces of unpublished material from the Wizards of the Coast Development Studio World Guide for the first time, and an Octagonal Pavilion in the exhibition that allows fans to congregate and interact with each other.
  • Five winners will be chosen at random from those who view all 134 pieces of art in the exhibition. The prize is a B2 size poster autographed by Tetsuo Hara. Attendees can fill out the entry form here. Only winners will be contacted. The competition is open to all APAC residents.
  • Attendees can also take photos during the exhibition.


About the Author

agun@impulsegamer.com'

Adrian lives in Melbourne Australia and has a huge passion for gaming, technology and pop culture. He recently finished his a Bachelor of Journalism and is currently focusing on games journalism. When not writing and playing video games, Adrian can be found in Comics 'R' Us debating the pros of the DC Universe and cons of the Marvel Universe.


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